


maybe we could be together

by delicatesalami



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Attempt at Humor, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Infinity War Happened But Without The Dying Part, Kind of an au?, Precious Peter Parker, Reader's Friends Share One Brain Cell, Reader's Kinda Shy, Will Contain Chat Boxes, author completely ignored that endgame happened, but they mean well, fuck thanos, no one died, occasionally, tags will be added as I go, they're in their 20's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2020-03-07 20:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18880234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delicatesalami/pseuds/delicatesalami
Summary: Google: is it possible to have feelings for someone despite of having no solid contact with them for years?It’s been years, surely it’s impossible to harbor feelings that supposedly grew dim the moment Peter unexpectedly walked out of [Name’s] life.Right?Well, [Name] isn’t sure either because her still racing heart is contradicting that claim and therefore making it hard for her to think straight.





	1. heart reacts only

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely inspired by real-life events (minus the good parts, unfortunately).

The table emits a clink from the cup of coffee being placed down. Lips pucker in gusto at the sweet bitterness of the hot beverage as nimble fingers return to their previous placement on the keyboard and mouse to go over and fix a few details missing from the interior design of a humble bungalow. For a family of four, if she recalls correctly.

Her eyes are bleary as she squints ever so slightly as if that'll help her see better. She has no clue on how long she's been at it; revising the plans her boss tasked her to look over before it goes into printing. All she knows is that she's exhausted and would very much like to take a break for as long as she needed to gain her energy back. It isn't always like this, really. Sleepless nights aren't uncommon, but more so frequent ever since [Name] decided to pursue a career in Architecture, primarily focused on the side of interior design.

The day is rather slow than what [Name] is used to. The architectural firm still does get a few new walk-in clients to consult with some of the Architects of the place and some who had been to the firm and back to get updates on the financial side of things, as well as some who decided that they want to change a few details here and there on the plans—it is quite annoying to deal with, especially with those who can't seem to make up their minds.

It all boils down the assigned architect's suggestions mostly, considering they're the ones familiar with everything that involves designing a resilient structure.

[Name] sighs as she pauses in her ministrations, shoulders slumping forward and she rests her head in her hands. She rubs the drowsiness from her eyes, not caring of the mascara she wore for the day smudges all the while. Anyone who's sleep deprived won't really make a big deal out of it anyway and that's everyone who's currently in the building. 

She glances at the clock.  _Just a few more hours then I can go home._

Taking that as some kind of last minute motivation, she resumes in her work of frantically searching for any errors made so she could correct them before she sends the blueprints to the architect in charge of this project, as well as the concept art to give them a vision of what the home will look like once completed. She always excelled in the aesthetic sense of her job.

[Name] takes the last sip from her cup as she sags against her chair, closing her eyes momentarily to bask in the temporary bliss of finishing another life-draining project until the time comes for another one to be handed to her.

Currently, it's a few minutes past four in the afternoon, the sun still shines just as brightly as it did some hours prior that the light bleeds through the blinds casting parallel lines on her desk. She chooses to go through her inbox for the time being. Her shift has already ended giving her plenty of time to fuck around, but she still takes extra precaution in case she may have missed any important details in those emails she chose to ignore, giving more importance to whatever was tasked to her during the times those were sent in the process.

It's not that [Name] was socially-inept, no, she has her fair share of friends; a tight-knit group that's been by her side from awkward encounters as a freshmen to her being given the opportunity to work in one of the most respected architectural firms. It's more like she didn't bother forming any emotional bonds with anyone besides her friends who she knew won't take her for granted and among... other reasons she wished to forget so it was less guilt-tripping when she refuses to reply on the dot.

For the time being, her finger continues to rotate the mouse wheel nonchalantly to look for any spam mail that's definitely going straight to her trash folder. Most of them are probably from the countless sites she signed up in her youth. Maybe it's time to make a separate account that centered around more important exchanges... maybe.

She jots down that suggestion on a post-it note.

_Ping!_

Her body straightens at the sound, gaze shifting from her computer screen to take an inquisitive glance at her currently charging phone.

Her face blanches at the sight.

There, on her phone screen, resides a message bubble that looks innocent enough. Just a box with the words 'Hey [Last Name]!' displayed. Nothing sketchy about that. Perhaps, it's an old colleague of hers, wondering how she's holding up with the adult life and yes, that reasoning would see fit—but then she recalls she had never kept in touch with anyone other than her set of friends.

So that really isn't the case, especially when she recognizes just  _who_ the message is from.

[Name] can slowly feel herself losing her composure as she sits there, still staring owlishly at her phone with quivering lips that she purses as soon as she feels a scream threatening to burst from her lips.

"H-holy shit..."

Holy shit indeed.

[Name] takes deep breaths and with clammy hands, she shakily reaches for her phone. Her thumb swipes at the message box, tapping on the 'open' option and she waits for an agonizing second until the application loads, instantly going to the chat box with the person.

She squawks an unintelligible sound when her eyes take in the icon beside the two-worded message.

> **_Peter Parker:_ ** _Hey [Last Name]!_

She refuses to smile at that. Nope. She refuses to acknowledge the blatant fact that Peter Parker addressed her by her last name. He claimed that it was catchy back when they were first introduced to each other, rather than calling her a cheesy nickname; she remembers him grinning at her as he said it and ever since then, it just kind of stuck.

All she can do now is stare dumbly at his name, taking note that he's still online with the indication of a tiny green dot resting on the lower right of his icon. The longer she stares at her phone, the more her heart beats at a pace she had never felt in years prior to this situation.

Oh no.

_Oh no._

Her face grows warm in tandem with her shaking thumbs typing out a response. She can only pray that whatever she ends up saying doesn't give away that she's freaking the fuck out over someone she had never expected to reach out to her at a time like this. If that ever happens, [Name's] more than ready to change her name and move out of the country the moment she's caught.

> **Peter Parker**
> 
> _Hey [Last Name]!_
> 
> _Hey what's up?_

Seems casual enough. She chews on her lip in anticipation when three dots in a speech bubble pops up to indicate he's typing.

> _I'm having a get together party with some people from high school_  
>  _Kind of like a reunion I guess?_  
>  _Everyone from our batch is invited_  
>  _Including you of course :)_

[Name] doesn't do anything to prevent the smile spreading on her lips in awe at the onslaught of messages, and the fact that he still remembered her through all of the years that went by. Peter and [Name] were kind of close during the ninth grade but as time went on, they slowly went their separate ways; meeting all sorts of new people and soon enough, their connection dimmed until it was lost.

So freaking out the moment Peter worms his way into her life again after years of losing touch with one another seemed like a proper reaction.

> _oh? Sounds fun!_  
>  _when and where is it?_
> 
> _2 weeks from now_  
>  _I still have no place in mind but I'm hoping to find a place big enough_  
>  _almost everyone is coming. They confirmed_  
>  _so i hope you'll be able to come too!_
> 
> _I don't know..._
> 
> _will it help if I say please?_  
>  _please?_
> 
> _I'll talk to my boss and see if he'll give me a day-off_  
>  _is that enough reassurance?_  
>  **_(_** ** _Peter reacted to your message: heart eyes)_ **
> 
>  
> 
> _Oh that's more than enough!_  
>  _I can't wait to see you :)_  
>  _And the rest as well!_  
>  _I'll just inform you with any changes_
> 
> _Alright cool. I'll let you know asap!_
> 
> _Yeah!_

Oh.

_What the fuck?_

She doesn't say anything after that. Too preoccupied with gaping at Peter's profile icon that the longer her eyes seem to drink up the admittedly handsome photo of Peter Parker staring back at her, the more it baffles her clouded thoughts when her heart twinged oddly as unspoken feelings start to swirl up inside of her. It's been years, surely it's impossible to harbor feelings that supposedly grew dim the moment Peter unexpectedly walked out of [Name's] life.

Right?

Well, [Name] isn't sure either because her still racing heart is contradicting that claim and therefore making it hard for her to think straight.

[Name] cradles her forehead in one hand. "Ugh.This is like high school all over again."

Dizzily, she swipes out of the chat box with Peter and switches it with a set of individuals who can help her with this unwarranted predicament; granted that they'll deal with it seriously because the last time [Name] went to them, seeking help and advice to address a situation that involved her pining for a boy, it ended up pretty badly that it may have left her with the burden of handling the negative effects of the experience.

**Group Chat: Equipé**

> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _GUYS WE HAVE A SITUATION_

But to hell with it. They're adults now, all functioning members of society who know a thing or two in managing taxes and other unwanted responsibilities that come with adulthood.

* * *

"Isn't Peter Parker that dude you used to like? Sweet, kind of dorky with the cute, brown curls and puppy-dog eyes?  _That_ Peter Parker?"

"The same Peter Parker who went to MIT with us? Who was somewhere in the engineering department? That Peter Parker?"

"If you say Peter Parker one more time, I will bite your toes off."

"Ooh kinky!"

"Oh! He was the dude under Tony Stark's internship program right? Heard he works at Stark Industries now—"

[Name] continues to sulk, her face buried in her arms in hopes of disappearing off of the face of earth in the middle of her friends talking about the man who had once upon a time, single-handedly flipped her world upside down—though not entirely. Peter had a brief moment doing exactly that, but it didn't really leave a lasting impression to impact [Name's] lifestyle, to her relief.

The ever-present caffeinated aroma of the quaint café is enough to alleviate the stress little by little, putting the mildly troubling train of thought to a rest as she lets her friends vocalize every far-fetched possibility there is in regards to her... dilemma.

A hand slams on the table. "I say it's his weird way of telling you he's been secretly pining after you since high school—"

"Which is totally not the case if you take in consideration that our lovely [Name] here is a pussy when it involves her doing anything about her crushes." [Name] receives a pitying glance. "No offense, darling—but it's true."

She grimaces, "gee, thanks for the support." The underlying sarcasm has Nicole snickering behind her hand.

"Oh! Oh! What if it's a booty call?" [Name] scoots a bit further at how unnervingly ecstatic Amalia appears in suggesting something raunchy to suit her tastes.

Nicole raises a thick eyebrow in question, "are you sure this is the same innocent, dorky Peter Parker we're talking about?" She shakes her head at the outlandish possibility. "Besides, [Name's] too much of a wuss to agree to a one night stand with him."

Her jaw goes slack in offense, "oh  _wow!_ Is this slander [Name] day? Are you guys even my friends?" [Name] crossed her arms as she looks off to the side with a pout pursing her lips.

"Oh come on, guys," the most level-headed of the group, Liza steps in. "Give her a break. It's been years since her last relationship. Do you guys  _not_ remember what happened?" She rubs her temple in exasperation.

[Name] rolls her eyes, "it's fine. It's not like that left me traumatized or anything."

"Uh, yes it did." Amalia points out.

"You're right, it did," she grumbles in defeat. Amalia smiles at her sheepishly. "But that's besides the point! Peter's too nice to call me for a booty call and I don't think he would go to lengths for one either. I mean, who the hell would host a party just to  _fuck_  oneperson for the night—"

"Do you really want an answer to that question? Because I have a list of people who would—"

"You know what," [Name] quickly plucks her phone from her bag. "Just read our conversation, maybe then the three of you can finally use your shared brain cell for once." Nicole makes a face to mock her but quickly makes a grab for the outstretched phone as if it belonged to her. [Name] just shakes her head with her mouth curling upwards into a smile, taking this as the perfect opportunity to finally indulge herself with the cake she had ordered, but never got the earliest chance to take a bite out of it due to her darling friends hounding at her for answers.

A moan of delight leaves her lips at the richness of the treat, chewing contently as her eyes scan the expanse of the café. A smile unconsciously spreads on her lips when her gaze lands on a couple in line, seeming to be in the middle of a playful banter when one of them pinches the other's cheek that elicits a pout.

Ah, what it feels to be young and in love. Unfortunately, she can't relate.

[Name] has taken about three more bites when one of the girls start squealing from across her and she isn't keen whether it's a squeal of delight or of mortification. The hopeful side of her wished that it's the former. [Name] is a simple woman, and so are the rest of her girl friends and usually when they turn to their gut instincts for reassurance, chances are they're spot on every single time.

But the rational side of her refuses to give in to the possibility. Reading too much into things can either go into her favor, or stem an unwanted outcome that'll probably end up screwing her up for life.

However, [Name] remains in her nonchalant state, choosing to take a long slurp from her frappé as she patiently waits for her colleagues to stop the squealing mess so they can give their opinions and assumptions on the conversation.

"So," [Name] starts with a smack of her lips, "what do you got for me?"

Nicole cackles, " _I can't wait to see you. With_ a smiley face? Dude, that totally means something!" Her eyes continue to flit back and forth in between the exchange of words. "Nice save though."

"Aw, he even said please!" Liza coos, eyes shining with unabashed fondness because of it. "[Name], he said please, you have to go!" She stresses, eyes still stuck to the phone screen.

Amalia lets out a light laugh. "He really wants you to come. He's hoping that you do!"

[Name] curls back into herself, looking bashful as she peers at her friends through her eyelashes. "You sure? Don't you think we need the guys' input on this?" Her cheeks flush.

Amalia's face twists into a look of disgust. "They probably won't take this as seriously as we do. They're the same people who knew about the—you know..." [Name] nods solemnly. Besides, girls know their own kind, so they're a better choice to confide in with these types of circumstances.

"Yeah, plus they're out drinking somewhere."

"At seven in the evening? Isn't it a little early?"

Liza clicks her tongue, bringing her mug to closer to her lips. "Those blockheads have no sense of time in them—" she takes a generous gulp of her drink. "Well, maybe Rainier since he's usually the sensible one."

"But hey," Nicole reaches for [Name's] hand. "It's really all up to you. So are you going, or not?"

Well, what is [Name] supposed to do, say no?

* * *

  **Peter Parker**

> _Affirmative_  
>  _Boss gave me the day-off. Now I'll surely see you in 2 weeks_  
>  **_(Peter reacted to your message: heart eyes)_ **
> 
> _!!!!!!_  
>  _That's great! I'll see you! :D_

 


	2. "clowns, both of you"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But of course, something just had to happen whenever she least expects it. [Name] doesn't know if any supreme being out there pities her longing state. Because right before she is about to finally beat the pain in the ass level, a notification causes her to lose concentration. She spits out a string of curses as she swipes downwards to view whatever it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just [Name] going about her daily life, being bombarded by Peter's messages and dealing with her dumbass friends with a cherry on top!

Toasted cinnamon wafts in the expanse of the apartment, filling [Name's] senses as she places the tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls on the marbled, island counter. She blows a strand of hair away from her face, courtesy of it loosening from her up-do while she softly hums along with the current song blasting from her speakers. The wooden floors are cold against her feet, waltzing around the kitchen to tidy-up after another round of her stress-baking her neighbors always anticipates; luckily enough for them, their absolute favorite are the cinnamon rolls.

It's been a full week since her separate, online conversations with Peter and her friends and during that allotted time, she kept herself occupied with different activities to help get her mind off of the get-together that could potentially ruin her life, one way or another. It's been so long since she'd last encountered anyone from Midtown High, not even a glimpse of anyone in particular and she really had no idea how to act. There's a huge chance of them acting entirely different from how they were high school so that's another thing to stress about: her planned approach. [Name] can already see herself tucked away in the corner, sulkily downing her drink—preferably alcohol—as she watches everyone mingle with one another. Though she could care less about what the rest would think about her. The main bump on the road here is how the hell is she going to face Peter Parker?

It's no secret to her friends that she harbored an unusual amount of fondness for the brunet in the past. [Name] never claimed it as a crush.

Of course, they knew better that it was exactly that.

The memories are vivid enough for her to remember just how infatuated she was with him at the time. How her heart flutters whenever he smiled or laughed at what she said, how lovely a sight it was to witness his eyes shine at any situation that elated his mood, or how pleasant and admittedly adorable it was that Peter addressed her by her last name with the little quirk in his lips does when saying it. There was a certain, unspoken charm to him that made him ridiculously irresistible and hard to ignore and oh—he's pretty handsome too. He also graduated Midtown High with the highest scholastic average in the school's history, meaning he knows his shit and that definitely secured the bag for [Name].

[Name] grunts. It's all so confusing, really. She was positive that her admiration for him was non-existent, up until Peter popped back into her life as if those years of no communication didn't exist. It could be that her feelings buried themselves into the deepest part of her heart and decided 'hey, why don't we come back the next time Peter makes a reappearance?' Because it's so mind-boggling to suddenly feel something that wasn't meant to last this long, just to spring up at the most convenient time.

Yet here she is, and it sucks.

[Name] stuffs her hands into the pockets of her coat as she whizzes her way through the throngs of people crowding the busy streets. What compelled her to leave the apartment, she isn't sure but she makes light of the situation anyway—she does need to wear something for the party; nothing in her current wardrobe seems to satisfy her tastes as of the moment, and so she rushes into the first boutique she finds, eyes glistening in glee as she drinks in the sight of every item of clothing organized strategically in the space.

She takes her time picking out pieces, with the help from a few employees that are generous to give their opinions as well. Dare she says, she's having quite the time watching the clothes she picks out pile up in her arm. It did aid her in getting her mind off of the impending doom just lurking around the corner, being engaged with what top goes with this skirt or if these pants are too loud with a mute looking blouse.

But the tranquility soon shattered when she taps on her earpiece to accept a call.

"You've been leaving your apartment a lot lately, you okay?" Nicole's tone is teasing, and [Name] scoffs at that as she pulls up the skirt she's been eyeing prior to the situation at hand.

"I'll have you know that I'm a functioning adult with a stable job, which explains why I'm out and about." She huffs, admiring herself in the mirror. "Besides, it's my day-off. Can't I treat myself?"

"Still, you're the hermit of the group. Thought you'd be lazing around your apartment today."

"What are you, a stalker?"

"A concerned friend, more like."

"Now what is concerning about that? If you have nothing important to say, please call me when I'm not busy. End call."

"Don't you dare—"

"No. Bye." she taps her earpiece once more, hanging up. That was rude, she's aware but in her defense, Nicole does this often; calling out of nowhere without any solid reason as to why she likes watching her own phone bill skyrocket into new heights. Then again, [Name's] friends with a handful of people with eccentric qualities, harboring a few of her own and she wouldn't have them any other way. On a side-note, it feels nice to be checked on, makes her feel less lonely than she already is.

Card securely tucked into her wallet, she stumbles out of the boutique, bearing the clothes—product of impulse—tucked away into the paper bags as she continues her journey of 'what can I do to momentarily forget about Peter's party?' She's aware of how laughable this whole thing is and how she's anxious about it, it's just a get-together. What's the worst that could happen?

Well, a lot of things and [Name] could think of possible consequences that involve the loss of dignity.

She curses at herself for not using her car or catching a taxi. Her feet ache, her legs are burning, hell even her ass has seen better days if it weren't for the walk back to her apartment, thinking it'll be good exercise—and it was. However, that all went out the window when she had to take the stairs. [Name] curses whatever being is responsible to have the elevator break all of a sudden, considering it was fine when she stepped out of her apartment earlier. For some reason, she blames it on Loki, regardless of having no contact with the God of Mischief whatsoever.

The television plays idly in the background accompanied by the sound of clicking keys. [Name] adjusts the glasses perched on her nose as she leans against the dining chair, wincing at the slight cramp she's starting to feel in her hand. A mixture of orange and pink floods into the apartment, the sunset painting whatever access the window gives it and it's a calming sight. She goes over the typed out financial statement one more time, before deeming it perfect and clicks submit, followed by a sigh of relief.

Hands reach out to cup the mug, finding comfort in the remaining warmth it emits as she lifts it to her lips to take a well deserved sip of chamomile tea. [Name] hums in delight at the sweetness from the honey laced with lemon, her gaze reflexively trailing to her phone. She notices that she's been doing this often, recalling her conversation with Peter who will supposedly 'update' her with details regarding the event planned. Yet as the days come closer to the date set for it, the more she starts to feel silly for expecting him to. It's obvious to [Name] that he's busy with the planning and of course he won't immediately contact her, she's the least of his priorities right now.

Although, she hopes that he'll reach out soon, but for something entirely different this time.

The television is at a normal volume now as [Name] swallows the last of her dinner, trading the now empty plate that clatters once she places it on the glass coffee table for her phone. So far, she hasn't received anything important—if you count Instagram or Twitter notifications important, she's got a few of them. But still, they're not the ones she's actually looking forward to engage in. She doesn't recall how long she switches in and out of the applications she has on her phone; anything to ease her nerves. Hell, she even went and installed a few games from the app store, a product of genuine curiosity from a few ads she had come across.

But of course, something just had to happen whenever she least expects it. [Name] doesn't know if any supreme being out there pities her longing state. Because right before she is about to finally beat the pain in the ass level, a notification causes her to lose concentration. She spits out a string of curses as she swipes downwards to view whatever it is.

> **_Peter Parker:_ ** _[Naaammee]_

Oh. So he's using her first name now?

Pretending that she doesn't feel the fluttering in her stomach,  she thumbs the message to bring her to their shared chat box.

**Peter Parker**

> _[_ _Naaammee]_
> 
> _what's up?_
> 
> _I finally found a place!_  
>  _it took a lot of convincing and reassurance but still!_  
>  _I went EVERYWHERE to find a suitable location_  
>  _but everywhere else is full! can you believe that?!_
> 
> _well that's great!_  
>  _a lot of people r probably celebrating this month_  
>  _oddly enough_ _lol_  
>  _so where's the place?_
> 
> _Stark Tower!_  
>  **_(You reacted to Peter's message: shocked)_ **
> 
> _Uhhh_  
>  _did I read that right or do i need new glasses_  
>  _as in THE Stark Tower?????_  
>  _??? Is that even allowed????_
> 
> _the one and only!_  
>  _Mr. Stark was hesitant at first,,_  
>  _turns out using the puppy-dog eyes work!_

A low whine of some sort gets caught in her throat. _Of course_ he resorts to use the puppy-dog eyes. Only a few, strong-willed people could withstand such a weapon. [Name] isn't sure if she was once under the influence of the phenomenon in high school. It's most likely she was, and she doesn't doubt that possibility either. It worked most of the time, obviously.

> _Mr. Stark said that we better be careful though_  
>  _since everything in there probably costs more than our lives combined_  
>  _and did you say new glasses_ _you wear glasses??_  
>  _since when????_  
>  _If you don't mind me asking_  
>  _:)_

[Name] squints at the smiley face in suspicion. Why did it feel like it insulted her hypothetical first born? Why is that passive-aggressive emoticon so unsettling to look at?

> _okay yIKES_  
>  _but he aint wrong_  
>  _And yeah I do_  
>  _started wearing them in college_  
>  **_(_ ** **_Peter reacted to your message: shocked)_ **  
>  _I only use them when I'm working on something tho_
> 
> _oh yeah I heard you took up architecture and design_  
>  _sounds exhausting_ _. sleep deprived and all_
> 
> _UGH you have nooo idea_  
>  _the money I earn makes up for it though LMAO_  
>  **_(Peter reacted to you message: laughter)_ **
> 
> _the only valid motivation for us sad, sad kids lol_  
>  _anyways i gotta go!_  
>  _I have A LOT to do to make sure the party goes smoothly_  
>  _see you soon?_
> 
> _It's what we get for living in this fucked up generation :)_  
>  _and of course!_  
>  _did you forget that I said yes to your little tea party?_  
>  **_(_** ** _Peter reacted to your message: laughter)_**
> 
> _just making sure!_
> 
> _I literally said yes twice_
> 
> _and I'll only believe it when I see you :D_
> 
> _oh you definitely will!_  
>  **_(Peter reacted to your message: heart eyes)_ **

Ah shit, there he goes again. Really, what does that even mean?! Is this another means of communication the younger generation resort to these days? Reacting to messages to convey your feelings and intentions? Wow, technology has come so far.

[Name] resists the urge to throw her phone across the room.

* * *

Biting angrily into a warm cinnamon roll, [Name] pulls a face as she chews fervently, quickly swiping out of her conversation with Peter after minutes of just staring to replace it with the group chat she and her friends established all those years ago.

**Group Chat: Equipé**

> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _screenshot 1.jpeg_   
>  _screenshot 2.jpeg_   
>  _screenshot 3.jpeg_   
>  _I curse the day this app was given the reaction feature_  
>  _I never asked for this_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _big mood_  
>  _and hey hEY IT'S PETER_
> 
> **_Rain_ **  
>  _omg Peter??_  
>  _as in Peter Parker? The one you've been crying about the other day lol_
> 
> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _excuse you I wasn't crying about him smh_  
>  _anyway can yall decode what he's trying to tell me_  
>  _I can't speak man_
> 
> **_Rain_**  
>  _first of all_  
>  _rude_  
>  _second of all_  
>  _idk he sounds like he's trying his best_ ™️ _to reconnect with you? maybe??_
> 
> **_Amalia_ **  
>  _I second that!_  
>  _just look how enthusiastic he sounds talking to you uwu_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _he wants to get in your pants_  
>  _I mean cmon he asked about your fucking glasses like wtf who does that_
> 
> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _idk,,, Peter?_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _glasses kink: confirmed_  
>  _n the unusual amounts of reacts,,,_  
>  _sounds like desperation to me_
> 
> **_Ivan_ **  
>  _LMFAO BET!!_  
>  _I know a sex-starved man when i see one owo_  
>  _time to hop on his dick sis!_
> 
> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _KSDJKSMDSMS THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE GATHERED FROM THE SCREEN-SHOTS??_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _yeah_
> 
> **_Rain_ **  
>  _yes_
> 
> **_Amalia_ **  
>  _yep_
> 
> **_Clark_ **   
>  _yeah_
> 
> **_Ivan_ **  
>  _lol yeah_
> 
> **_Liza_ **  
>  _yes_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _shut up liza you didn't even contribute anything_
> 
> **_Liza_ **  
>  _fuck off_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _no u_
> 
> **_[Name]_ **   
>  _eye—_  
>  _can you give me something else that ISN'T nsfw??_  
>  _you animals_  
>  _besides have yall thought that maybe he's NOT single??_
> 
> **_Liza_ **  
>  _dunno, it seems pretty clear that he wants to at least re-establish that friendship you lost years ago and he's really trying his best lol_  
>  _idk why you still need our input_  
>  _also,,, what.. how many years has it been since he and Michelle got together?_
> 
> **_Amalia_ **  
>  _Oh I remember this story, [Name] mentioned they got together when they went on this European trip lol_  
>  _you think they lasted that long?_
> 
> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _Idk maybe??_  
>  _and hello i need to know any courses of actions to take_  
>  _you know,,, options_  
>  _in case Peter isn't taken_  
>  _:)_  
>  _JUST_ _IN CASE_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _Idk that smiley face is starting to make me feel threatened_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _you guys are so vanilla i still stand by my claim of parker thirsting over our precious baby grill uwu_  
>  _baby girl*** wtf_
> 
> **_Rain_ **  
>  _BABY GRILL WE_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _BABY GRILL JGJHSERGHRLERG IM_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _SHUT YOUR FUCK_  
>  _and him? taken? bro,,, have you READ what parker said?? the fuck are you wearing glasses for then???_  
>  _I thought Rain was the dumbass of this bunch_
> 
> **_Rain_ **  
>  _HEY_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _Ivan*_  
>  _sorry autocorrect lol_
> 
> **_Ivan_ **  
>  _HEY_
> 
> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _This is not funny delete this immediately or my lawyer will be in contact >:^(_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _let's do it baby, i know the law B^)_  
>  _i only fear BTS stans, no one else_
> 
> **_Amalia_ **  
>  _SISTER CLARK SNAPPED SKDNSNSNS_
> 
> **_Ivan_ **  
>  _I second what clark says lol_  
>  _the dude really wants you to come_  
>  _in more ways than one ;^)_
> 
> **_Liza_ **  
>  _this is why no one wants to listen to any of your advice_
> 
> **_Clark_ **   
>  _:o(_
> 
> **_Ivan_ **  
>  _:o(_
> 
> **_Liza_ **  
>  _clowns, both of you_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _[_ _sad honk]_
> 
> **_Liza_ **  
>  _no_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _okay but can't we agree on both?? Peter wants to become her friend again AND get into her pants after some dates_  
>  _your typical friends to lovers trope!!_
> 
> **_Liza_ **  
>  _well_  
>  _that does make sense_  
>  _even if it does sound fanfic-y_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _talk shit about my past-time again OR HAND OVER YOUR TOES_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _HAH!_
> 
> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _oh my god_  
>  _why r u guys so dead-set on getting me together with Peter??_  
>  _I feel nothing for him!_
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _sis,, you literally juST aSKED us for options??_  
>  _make it make sense_
> 
> **_Rain_ **  
>  _"I need options!! Just in case Peter isn't taken :)" crack?? is that crack you smoke_
> 
> **_Amalia_ **  
>  _LMAOOOOO need i remind you the times you almost lost ur shit whenever you see him on campus_
> 
> **_Liza_ **  
>  _i second that she looked like she's about to have a seizure every time lol_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _yall the lack of dick in her life is making her delusional_  
>  _press f to pay respects_
> 
> **_Ivan_ **  
>  _you better get those lies fucked out of you asap it's giving me a headache_  
>  **_(3 people reacted to this message: laughter)_ **
> 
> **_Nicole_ **  
>  _OOF_
> 
> **_Clark_ **  
>  _LMAOOOOOOO GOT 'EM!!_
> 
> **_[Name]_ **  
>  _the_  
>  _I fucking hate you guys_

Wherever her phone ended up is the least of her worries. It'll let its location be known when the alarm for tomorrow goes off and so [Name] takes to her bed to retire for the night, gladly cozying it up on her bed as she lets herself be lulled to sleep by the ever so busy night-life of the city that never sleeps.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, the actual Peter Parker will make his appearance soon and once he does, well you know how it is ;)
> 
> Also the chat thing is basically the FB messaging app dsjfhdsjkfh like,,, what's the point of the react feature lmao. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated! (please)


	3. well, at least there's MJ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Whatever you guys are thinking, it’s not it.”
> 
> “Might as well kill two birds with one stone, right?”
> 
> “I am _not_ fucking Peter, or anyone at that tonight!”

“Nervous?”

“I think nervous is the biggest understatement of the year. I’m terrified.” [Name] whines, disgruntled as she further wiggles herself into the comfort of the cushions; knees up to her chest with her head resting on the arm-rest. All she wants right now is for a black hole to swallow her whole, preventing her from going anywhere ever again, or maybe catch a virus so she’ll have an excuse to why she isn’t present in later’s get-together. But sadly, black holes don’t appear at will and everyone who’s currently in [Name’s] apartment is perfectly healthy.

No excuses this time and it’s a bit too late to back out from it actually.

Nicole sighs at the sulky figure of [Name] as she moves onto her feet to sit down beside her. “You aren’t gonna bail from it, are you?”

[Name] sits up, quite frantically, offended at that thought. “God no! That would be a shitty thing to do,” she jerks her thumb to the direction of the kitchen. “Plus, I already baked some treats to bring over to Peter’s. “It’d be a waste.” She grumbles.

“Which are very good, by the way!” Nicole and [Name] both turn their to spot Amalia wiping her fingers clean with a paper towel. (“Those hands better be clean,  _or else._ ”) “It would be my pleasure to bring these babies home, if you don’t end up going.”

“Which is not going to happen, because she is going.” A new voice joins in. “Isn’t that why we’re here? To help her get ready?” Liza raises an eyebrow, hazel eyes sweeping over from [Name], who looks rather invested in fiddling with her fingers, to Amalia taking a cream puff from the pile. “I did not sit through traffic just for you to pussy out of this, [Name].” Liza sniffs, crossing her arms.

The woman in question pouts at her jab. “I can’t help it! I literally haven’t seen them in  _years_ so forgive me for being in the middle of a breakdown!”

“And that’s bad because..?”

[Name] groans, flopping onto her side. “It’s just—what if they forgot about me?”

“Oh honey, they didn’t. Besides, think of it this way; I’ve seen what you’ve looked like in high school and if anything, they’d probably do a double-take when they see you.” Liza snorts at [Name], now looking like a kicked-puppy. “I mean, you did have an amazing glow-up, as the kids say. I think being forgotten momentarily wouldn’t be  _too_ bad.”

Amalia cackles, strutting up to the group, this time with a cream-puff in hand. “In case you forgot, we were literally there when ‘glow-up’ became mainstream. We aren’t  _that_ old,” She takes a bite out of her treat. “And I agree. Take it as an advantage, strut your stuff.” She muffles.

_‘Take it as an advantage.’_

Admittedly, [Name] isn’t really the most confident out of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean she lacks it either. To be more precise, her level of confidence is that of a roller coaster; sometimes it reaches new heights that she never thought was possible, and on rare occasions, it plummets at an unexpected drop. It really depends on the situation at hand. It can be annoying to deal with and God knows how long she has been working on it. It’ll take time for sure, but she’s proud to say that she can handle herself in situations that require putting yourself out there and socializing without feeling the need to cry.

[Name] takes Amalia’s impromptu advice to heart as she immediately rushes to her bathroom to take a shower—Liza’s orders—and indeed did she take that well deserved shower. She does anything you could imagine for her to reemerge from the steamy bathroom, feeling like a new person and the triad of girls, who are her helpers for today, all grin in knowing satisfaction once they recognize the glow [Name’s] skin gives from shaving and exfoliating.

“Whatever you guys are thinking, it’s not it.”

“Might as well kill two birds with one stone, right?”

“I am  _not_  fucking Peter, or anyone at that tonight!”

Usually, [Name] enjoys the process of applying her makeup, to watch herself transform into someone else entirely right in front of her. There’s just something so satisfying about having foundation and concealer blend into your skin, covering up those pesky imperfections to be replaced by a smooth, glowing canvas. However, the feeling of content that is usually present in the artistic act is nowhere to be found the moment her face is smacked by a powder puff, sending all the loose powder flying everywhere. A series of coughing and hacking follows shortly after.

“I thought you were going for a natural, everyday look!” [Name] croaks out, swatting the powder away from her face. “Why do I need that much powder?”

“Yeah, no. The party’s at night so your makeup needs to be more glam to attract more attention.” Nicole pushes her chin up with the handle of the brush. “Also, we want your foundation to last long, in case you want to stay longer.”

[Name] rolls her eyes at the cheshire grin lighting up Nicole’s features. “For the last time, nothing’s gonna happen between me and Peter. Now,” she gestures for her friend, now turned makeup artist to continue. “Do your worst.”

Offended, Nicole scoffs. “You mean my  _best_.” She continues with the task at hand with the utmost concentration evident on her face.

Thinking back to Amalia’s advice, maybe not being seen by any of her old classmates isn’t such a bad thing. If anything, it makes her feel a little bit better about herself because Liza had a point when she claimed that she blossomed into a beautiful young woman, no matter how many times she denies it. She’s aware that she wasn’t the best looking, now thinking back to her times at Midtown High, but she definitely wasn’t the worse. She’s in that perfect middle. [Name] assumes it’s because of the fact that she avoided attention as much as she could and that alone didn’t make her as memorable as the others, like Peter, or MJ, hell, Flash sure made a statement—even if he was a bit of an asshole.

Besides, there was one encounter in college that [Name] couldn’t stop thinking about when taking the previous thought into consideration. Even to this day, she still has those moments where that memory suddenly replay’s inside her mind at the most random times.

It’s still as vivid whenever she recalls it, as if it happened just a few hours ago.

_It was when she, Nicole and Rain step foot into one of MIT’s food hubs to get a snack before last period rolls in. Her two companions were bickering about something that [Name] had no clue of (one of their shared interests, probably) as she goes on their quest to get something in their stomachs before subjecting to torture in the dreaded class.Though [Name’s] feeling quite positive today, if it weren’t for the beaming smile as she keeps up with the heated argument about kids and their super powers (they’re called… quirks?) between her companions._

_And that’s when she sees him._

_Peter Parker sitting at one of the tables, alone with what seemed to be his studying materials scattered in front of him._ Holyshitholyshitholyshit. _Her face warms in tandem with her heart racing like crazy, like super crazy that it’s almost embarrassing that he still had that effect on her even though it’s been so long since they’ve sat down to have a chat._

_Then their eyes meet._

_[Name] feels her soul jump out of her skin, as if he sensed her approaching, and the expression on his face was priceless; but she was too busy having an inner conflict with herself to think much about the strange reaction._

_It all happened so fast. [Name] stopped across from him as a soft hello leaves her lips in greeting; Peter stutters out a ‘hey’ in response and she almost laughs at how he’s openly gaping at her like a fish out of water, puppy-dog eyes wide with his mouth slightly ajar—a face full of disbelief. The moment is quick to shatter when the brunet lets his pen drops from his grasp and [Name], returning back to reality, takes that as a cue to catch up to her friends, a triumphant smile stretching on her lips as she waits patiently for them to get their food._

_When she left though, [Name] makes sure to say bye to him and still, he had that look of wonder when he waves goodbye, albeit rather reluctantly, but that didn’t deter the sudden boost of confidence, not even a bit._

That happened more than two years ago, and it still left her thinking about what it could mean and who knows? What if that odd, yet endearing encounter makes a comeback tonight?

The accomplished grin remained on Nicole’s face, even after [Name] starts to dress into her outfit for tonight. Amalia says something about how you can’t go wrong with a plain black turtleneck as she proceeds to shove the said clothing item into [Name’s] arms. Liza suggests to pair it with a plaid skirt and black tights, given how cold it is outside and Nicole almost tore down the shoe closet to look for a specific pair of boots—the ones with wedge heels that made [Name’s] legs appear longer and butt look nicer—needless to say, the three girls claimed that her outfit looked chic, at the same time casual, whatever that means.

“Really? A red coat? Isn’t that a little too eye-catching?” [Name’s] eyes narrow to the red, wool material in disdain.

Amalia gives her an incredulous look. “What? It’ll totally complete that Sabrina Spellman aesthetic you have going on. It’s cute  _and_ functional!”

“Yeah yeah, can we please fix my hair first. I don’t think anyone will appreciate this wet mop on my head.”

In the end, Amalia styles her hair into a more presentable do with a few more touch-ups to the face, courtesy of Nicole, and [Name] is left to pick out a tan coat to wear for the night, claiming the red to be too much. She didn’t want  _that_ much attention and besides, it’s not like anyone’s going to rave about her quirky choice of following some fictional character’s style; it’s coincidental and her friends are to blame if they do question it.

* * *

In all of [Name’s] time spent on her career, she has never, not once, been intimidated by a building. How can she when she works around them for a living? Funny how that was her first thought when she had stepped outside of her apartment complex with the triad of girls in tow—the original plan was for her to drive to Stark Tower on her own, yet her friends insisted on going with, claiming they wanted to be sure that she didn’t chicken out and drive off to somewhere else—but as her destination grows closer, she might as well develop an irrational fear and look for another career that doesn’t involve designing them.

“Wait what? You’re not taking my car?” [Name] shoots Amalia a doubtful look as Liza hands her the treats for the party.

“Uh, no? The girls and I are going out for drinks. There’s a club nearby and we can just hail a cab.” The taller girl smiles in reassurance, fixing [Name’s] hair in place. “Don’t worry about us, okay? Just enjoy your night. Call us if you need anything and I mean  _anything._ ”

[Name] rolls her eyes. “I will.”

Walking into the lobby of Stark Tower is probably one of the most nerve-wracking moments she’s ever experienced in her life. The interior is absolutely astounding, she could have spent the entire time admiring everything about it and forget the party. The security is no joke either, you have them scattered everywhere and [Name] almost screams when one of them firmly, yet politely directed her to the reception area where a lady with sharp features resides behind the desk. [Name] just about calmed down a bit when she made it to the woman, occupied with something on the computer as she typed.

Without looking up, she clears her throat, “Name and purpose?”

“Uh, [Name] [Last Name],” she places the boxes on top of the desk. The woman—Martha, as indicated on her name-tag—raises a perfectly groomed eyebrow at it. “I’m here for Peter Parker’s… party? Get-together? I think reunion sounds more appropriate.” She grimaces at her own spew of words, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Oddly enough, Martha’s face lights up with the slightest trace of recognition, now appearing more friendly as she nimbly types on the keyboard. “Ah, yes. Ms. [Last Name]. Mr. Parker spoke about you.”

Now that piqued her interest. “Oh, he… he did?” And why in the world would he?

Martha shrugs, fingers sifting through a collection of… cards? Arranged in a box. “He did mention you were one of his friends in high school—ah, here we go.” She pulls out a card, “this is a pass that grants you access to a few selected floors in the building, courtesy by Mr. Parker and approved by Mr. Stark as well. Mr. Parker insists that you keep it, for reasons undisclosed, I’m afraid.” [Name] tilts her head when she spots a knowing glint in her sharp, grey eyes. “If you ever lose it, I’ll be able to issue you a new one.”

“Thank you but um,” she plucks the card from Martha’s fingers, visibly bewildered by her words as she examines the plastic material. “I’m not sure why I should keep it?” And she truly means it. She can’t think of any valid reasons to why she should. [Name] is sure she hadn’t done anything significant in Peter’s life to get this rather strange treatment out of nowhere. Did the rest of the guests receive the same type of pass? Maybe Ned has one, he’s his best friend after all.

“Even so, I highly suggest that you do. From what Mr. Parker has told me, it seems that you’re of importance.”

[Name] honestly has nothing to say to that. Her? Important? In what universe? Sure she’s a licensed architect—though mostly indulges in interior designing—and she’s slowly making a name for herself, but what does  _that_ have to do with her relations with the guy that even a receptionist as herself is aware of? It’s too early to start overthinking shit.

The pass is then shoved into her pocket. “I’m pretty sure that I’m not, but if Peter says that then okay.”

Martha smiles politely, gesturing to the boxes. “Do you mind if I check them? They aren’t weapons, right?”

“Oh! No no no no! They’re–they’re just treats that I baked. Didn’t really want to show up empty-handed.”

“Alright. It’s standard protocol. We wouldn’t want to risk the safety of anyone here. So, may I?”

* * *

God, even the elevator looks like it must have cost more than her life.

After a thorough check of the boxes, Martha gives her the okay and proceeds to gesture her towards one of the elevators specifically, which is the one [Name] is in now. Her heart continues to beat at the same frantic pace, now that she’s fully aware that at any moment now, the elevator doors will open for her to be greeted by people mingling about the designated floor of the party. In short, she’s feeling pretty stressed at the moment, her mind somehow doesn’t know how to stop conjuring dumb, worst case scenarios but what’s new?

“Good evening, Ms. [Last Name].”

“Oh my God!” [Name] jumps, shrieking in surprise as she frantically backs up to the wall, her grip tightening on the boxes for dear life. “What the _fuck_  was that?!” Her eyes roam around wildly around the enclosed space for the source of the female voice that suspiciously had an Irish accent. Dear lord, is this a hallucination from the stress? Is there a ghost in this elevator?  _Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck—_

“My apologies, miss. I am F.R.I.D.A.Y, Mr. Stark’s A.I created by himself. I have access to control all systems in this tower. Including the elevators.”

“O-okay. That’s one way to greet someone… you aren’t going to kill me though, right?”

“No, I am not programmed, nor do I have the physical body to do so. But I can put everything on lock-down if a threat is to exist.” The woman takes deep breaths, not really believing that this is happening right now. Then again, this  _is_ Tony Stark. Dude’s practically a genius, probably more than that, so  _of course_ he had programmed an A.I by himself. “Your heart rate has increased significantly, and your stress levels are quite high. Do you wish to seek medical attention?”

“No!” Comes her quick reply, either from being spooked or not wanting to cause a scene, she doesn’t know. “No. It’s just, it’s not everyday that I encounter an A.I, no offense.”

“I am not programmed to feel offended.”

“That’s great.”

“A few people had reacted the same. One of them even went hysterical, but they were fine after they arrived to the floor where Mr. Parker is holding the party.” [Name] looks around when it goes silent for a brief moment, assuming she—it? Is talking to someone else. “And it seems that we are almost there. Please enjoy your stay. There are plenty of food and beverages to go around, courtesy of Mr. Stark. He sends his regards.”

“Thank you, F.R.I.D.A.Y and please, send my thanks to Mr. Stark as well. Martha mentioned he approved of my… access to selected floors of this place? Whatever that means.” She snorts. “Oh and for letting us use the tower for the night.”

“It would be my pleasure, miss.”

As soon as F.R.I.D.A.Y goes quiet, the elevator doors slide open, revealing a common room that exhibits a sleek and modern motif that went well with the large space. [Name] lets her gaze wander around the area for a moment, her feet leading her out of the elevator as she takes in everything with eyes full of wonder. There are people, of course, scattered about with a pop song she recalls hearing on the radio a few days ago blasting in the expanse, the bass booming so strongly that she feels it thumping in her chest. Most people are dancing to the fast-paced song, a few having the time of their lives at the bar, knowing it’s unlimited and free. A focused bartender stands behind the marble counter, mixing the requested drinks and the few who chose to neither involve themselves with have found purchase in the few places of comfort, such as the seats, balcony and mezzanine that looked over the party to simply have a chat with their peers.

A relieved smile stretches onto her red-stained lips.

Up until now, no one has caught on with her arrival yet, so she takes their lack of awareness into account to sneak her way towards the unoccupied kitchen, where she then later confirms that this is where all the food is at—most of them are probably take-out. The boxes of pizza gave it away—and swiftly, she places her treats down on the counter with practiced ease, opening the boxes to reveal an array of french baked goods. It’s Stark Tower, so she assumed she’d fit it with the vibe it gave. Still, no one notices her which is what she’s exactly hoping for. Attention isn’t really her thing so she’ll take what she can get. She revels the cool air that brushes over her form, placing her coat over one of the bar-stools as it was getting a little too toasty for comfort.

So far so good. The feeling of wanting to curl up into a ball is non-existent at the moment, which is definitely a good sign because it’ll be embarrassing if [Name] does end up doing just that. Parties aren’t really her scene. She never found loud gatherings too appealing so it’s quite rare to see her enjoying a night out with her friends at clubs and such, and this current situation leaves her a little bit out of place. Though, she doesn’t mind this at all. To her, this looks like a milder version of it, much to her appreciation. Except the music is a little too loud for her liking but hey, she isn’t the host. Who is she to demand things?

[Name] makes herself comfortable on the bar-stool for a moment, merely savoring the solitude of being alone for as long as she can while sending a few update messages to the group chat, as well as separate text messages to her girls. A little time to compose her shaking frame won’t hurt anyone.

“[Name]?” She abruptly bristles at the call. “Is that you?”

Stiffly, she slowly cranes her neck up, gaze slowly leaving her phone and to whoever called her. “MJ?” Immediately, her expression of terror morphs to excitement, eyes darting up and down to take a good look at the beautiful girl before her, bouncing on her heels. “Oh my God! Hi!”

“Holy shit, dude! You look really good!” MJ happily catches [Name] in her arms when she practically launched herself from her seat, causing the taller girl to stumble in her stance as she laughs loudly at the excitement. “What are you doing at this lame party?” MJ sways them both side-to-side.

A soft laugh bursts from [Name] at the playful action. “You’re here too, you know? And Peter invited me.”

She missed MJ. She remembers being close to her in high school. They hung out quite often, despite the sudden fall-out between [Name] and Peter, both having their shared love for the arts, the former being very passionate about it too. You can say they were sort-of best friends, but when the time of having to go to university came, they lost touch.

“Yeah well, gotta be a supportive friend. The loser wouldn’t shut up about it so, why not?”

At that, [Name] pulls away from her grasp, now having her at arm's length, a look of confusion written all over face. “Friend? But the European trip…“ she stammers.

“Dude, that was years ago. We broke up months into the relationship. We both thought we’d be better off as friends. Can you believe how cliché that sounds? Ugh.” MJ grimaces, taking a sip of her drink… whatever it is. It looks alcoholic. “Well whatever. It was good while it lasted. Though things… kinda got complicated after that.” [Name] knew she was hiding some of the actual details, but she didn’t press on further. It wasn’t really her place to force everything out of someone who she had just reconnected with.

The fact that her heart leaped in, dare she says it, joy at the confirmation of their break-up didn’t make her feel better either.

“Wow… uh, I didn’t expect that.” She rubs her ear in embarrassment.Thankfully, her foundation is thick enough to cover her blushing face. “Sorry for bringing it up.”

“Eh, it’s chill. I’m over it.” The bronzed girl smiles at her, eyes twinkling in the low-light. “Anyway, speaking of the nerd, I actually have no idea where the hell he is. Probably making sure no one wrecks anything.” She snorts.

“He  _is_ the host, so that’s understandable and this is Tony Stark’s place, after all. He’ll turn up when he makes sure everything is in one piece.”

“Ah yeah, almost forgot Parker worked for a man with too much money. Come on,” she links her arm with [Name’s]. “Let’s get you a drink. You look like you need one.” They both share a laugh as they continue towards the bar, resuming their chat.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SWEAR PETER IS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER DSKJFHDKSJFH I had to cut it cos the chapter was getting too long and I wanted to be consistent with the word count im so sorry hhhh


	4. "Hey, loser!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her throat has never been as dry as the Sahara Desert until now. She wasn’t even aware that was possible? What the fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sirens wailing] IT'S PETER!

[Name’s] lips pucker as her throat burns from the drink. It’s a soothing burn almost, putting her at ease despite the loud environment and MJ smirks when watching her wince slightly from the bitter taste.

“I take it that you don’t drink often?” MJ raises a sharp eyebrow, downing the rest of her drink in one go, unlike [Name].

“Not as often as I should be,” she chuckles, tongue darting out to lick the drop that clung onto her lower lip. “Work’s taking most of my free time. Feels good to finally let loose though. It’s been a while.”

“You’re an architect, right?” The taller woman asks. “How’s that holding up for you?”

“It’s been good, everything I could ask for, really. I love my job, love where I am in life right now what else could I possibly want?” [Name] laughs, it’s soft yet hearty as she gazes down onto the people below from her place on the mezzanine, toying with her glass. “Besides wishing for more time to sleep? I’m content with what I have at the moment.” Her laughter quietens down to a low chuckle of sorts, head turning to face MJ with a smile.

“So basically, you’re single and lonely despite the success?” [Name] stares at her incredulously, jaw slackened and MJ merely laughs at her.

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking… how did you—“ [Name] sighs in defeat, head hanging low as she moans in disdain. “Is it really that obvious?”

“A little bit, yeah. I kinda sensed that vibe from you. Plus you never actively dated, from what I know.” MJ continues to let out a few strings of laughter while the other continues to sulk. “But hey, I’m not judging. The whole independent-ass bitch thing? That’s hot.”

Exhaling a short laugh, she shakes her head while lifting the glass to her lips for another sip. “I guess. I just haven’t thought about it in a while.”

”I get you. Heard from a few people that your major is seriously demanding. You probably hadn’t had the time to find someone, huh?”

“That’s basically the gist of it. You wouldn’t believe how studious and proactive I was and now… I kinda wished I had more fun.”

It’s what got her into the architectural firm she works for in the first place. An internship opportunity and a guaranteed spot to work as soon as she got her license. Even being as hard-working as she was back in university, that doesn’t cover up the fact that she had her fair shares of ups and downs.

Times where the self-doubt is at its peak, wondering if all of the sleepless nights were worth it, sleepless nights of her worrying about what the future holds for her. It wasn’t easy, that she can fully admit. All the obstacles she had to face, the critical thinking she had to do in coming up with a solution to ensure the structure will be built with no complications, the constant rejection of her mock proposals of her design concepts for her thesis—that shit almost had her quit. But would she do it all over again, knowing all the hard work will pay off generously in the end? Oh most definitely.

[Name’s] gaze travels from the chandelier, to the floor below. It seems that the last of the guests had arrived, not that she was fully aware of. She was too busy reminiscing about the hell that went down in university. Looking at the crowd brought that feeling of uneasiness again. They all looked so different, yet somehow the same from when she last saw them all those years ago and when she recognizes Ned from the crowd dancing with Betty, she realizes how much she had missed the opportunities she had back then to remain something as close to permanent in their lives.

“Hey, loser!”

She’s then pulled out from her thoughts. Quickly composing herself, she stands tall, prim and proper, if you will, to not appear as though she’s having momentarily regrets in life. “Okay, I know my social life…  _and_  love life isn’t poppin’ or whatever but…” [Name’s] voice trails off when she realizes that MJ wasn’t even referring to her, but to someone approaching. “And you aren’t actually talking to me, my bad.” She couldn’t really see who it is since her taller friend is blocking the view.

Was MJ always  _that_ tall?

Well whatever, [Name] can think about her impressive height the next time—she could be a model, to be quite honest. Maybe she is? Part-time?—she slowly pokes her head to the side to get a clear view on whoever this clown is—

Her throat has never been as dry as the Sahara Desert until now. She wasn’t even aware that was possible for that short amount of time it required? What the fuck.

There’s Peter  _fucking_ Parker, in the flesh and [Name], for some reason, has forgotten the basics on how to function like a normal human being. Except how can she? When Peter looks like a full course meal—wait, scratch that—a literal, all-you-can eat buffet in an ensemble that definitely showcased all of his assets that she wasn’t aware that existed, yet she greedily drinks in the sight, her eyes pausing momentarily on his exposed, forearms.  _God_ if she could turn back time and kept in contact with him, [Name] would have probably gotten all of  _that_ every single night to her heart’s content or depending how much her stamina can take. [Name's] certain she can take a lot, if she tries hard enough.

Her resolve slowly crumbles apart, still gawking at the brown-eyed beauty approaching.

Now  _that’s_ what you call a glow-up.

As if sensing her sudden distress, MJ moves subtly enough to steal a glance at the suddenly silent architect and oh my,  _oh my._  It seems that a cat has suddenly gotten a hold of [Name’s] tongue in a vice-grip. If her jaw were to slacken some more, she would be drooling all over her boots right this second.

MJ grins.

[Name] regains her composure for the second time in a span of seconds to glare at the tan woman. “MJ, no.”

 _MJ, yes._ She turns her attention back to Peter while making sure [Name] is still hidden in plain sight to give her more time to recover from looking like a fool. “Took you long enough, nerd. What gives?”

[Name] can just tell he’s probably scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Got an emergency call from… you know… work,” MJ hums, quickly getting what he means. “Good thing it was close by.” She’s too busy losing her last brain cells to even try and decode what Peter meant by close. Maybe someone in the tower needed his help last minute on something? Yeah that could be it.

“Great, that’s great.” She dismisses. Peter knits his eyebrows in question. “Anyway, I’d like you to meet someone,” the shorter girl mutters an ‘oh God’ quietly to herself in time with Peter letting out an intrigued hum. “But you already know her. You did invite her yourself.” And before [Name] had the chance to say ‘wait’, MJ has already side-stepped to fully expose her to him.

“[Last Name]?” There’s the quirk in his lip again when he refers to her as such, not missing the disbelieving lilt either.

“Hi…” [Name] smiles gently, albeit crookedly, but Peter doesn’t seem to mind the awkwardness as he returns the gesture brightly and holy cow he still looks same as she remembered! Just taller, bigger,  _stronger_ and well, more handsome.

But his eyes, those beautiful brown eyes that turn into the shade of honey under the sunlight still remain as they were from the first time she had seen them. Even if the years had come and gone, they still held the youth he always had in them, the genuine curiosity for almost anything and the overall shine present, at the same time, there was a subtle, wise glow to them. Peering into the chocolate depths feels like she’s meeting the fourteen year old boy back then for a second time.

“You…” Peter trails off as he took tentative steps, arms slowly opening wide, wide enough for her to just fall in. But that of course doesn’t happen. This isn’t some romantic novel, nor is the atmosphere romantic enough for something like that to have as an end result. Instead, [Name] reacted as naturally as possible, forgetting the looming panic as she lets Peter envelop her into a hug, her arms resting loosely around his neck while minding the empty glass secured in her dainty fingers.

The architect chuckles, nose scrunching when Peter’s brown curls tickle her temple and cheek. No complaints is heard from her though and she relaxes in his arms, just marveling how muscular they are against her softer frame and finding comfort in the warmth his body exudes.

“Told you I’d be here.” She speaks up, teasing, as her lips quirk up into an excited grin against his shoulder.

Peter’s chest rumbles with a laugh, his embrace tightening just a little as if to retaliate against her friendly jab. “I think that statement’s pretty obvious.”

His voice that has grown deeper over the years raises goosebumps on her skin, heart thumping deafeningly in her ears when she catches a whiff of his earthy, fresh scent. It’s an almost addicting smell—one that just screams  _PeterPeterPeter_ in a crooning mantra—that she immediately pulls herself together to prevent herself from pressing her nose further into his neck; she lets her eyes flutter close for a brief moment, however, savoring all that he is, how he feels against her until she loses the chance.

And damn, she could really get used to it.

“Well! It seems that this reunion is going smoothly than anticipated.” MJ speaks up, causing the two to loosen their hold on each other to turn their attention to her. "I’ll leave you guys to catch up then,” she gladly plucks the glass out of [Name’s] grasp. “I’ll be down at the bar if you need me.” MJ winks, swiftly strutting out of their space to leave them to themselves.

The two continue to gaze after her climbing down the stairs, bewildered by the words that flew past her lips and leaving them both clinging to each other to figure out what just went down. It’s Peter who realizes the gravity of the situation at hand and with a yelp, he quickly retracts his arms from being around her waist in tandem with [Name’s] arms returning to her side at the same speed, both equally flustered at the unexpected embrace.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry—I didn’t know what came over me!” Peter frets, giving them both some distance. [Name] waves him off though, not really minding (obviously). “And wow... you um… you look really… really good.” His eyes flicker to hers momentarily, before losing eye contact, finding his shoes rather interesting as he shoves his hands in his pockets.

[Name] on the other hand, glows at the praise, a lopsided smile curling onto her lips. “Thanks. I could say the same for you, Peter.” She fiddles with her fingers. “It’s good to see you again. Thanks for the invitation.”

This time, it’s Peter who is surprised by her compliment. “O-of course!” His face turns pink and if [Name] manages to catch that in the low-light, she doesn’t make it evident that she did. Peter wouldn’t suspect her smile widening though. “I wouldn’t forget you—uh, ‘cause we were classmates and I saw you a few times in uni and um… yeah. I just had to make sure you were able to come.”

She giggles, finding his rambling rather adorable. “That’s sweet of you and I’m glad I was able to. At least you gave me a reason to not think about work.”

Peter grins, feeling himself loosening up a bit from her kind words. “Everyone needs a break from time to time,” he shifts on his feet. “So, how’ve you been?”

They launch into a rather comfortable conversation, both of them generously lending an ear whenever it was the other’s turn to talk. It’s pleasant and at some point, Peter moves beside [Name] so he could lean against the railings for support, while continuing to listen diligently to her currently talking about one of her many experiences in university. She doesn’t show she’s affected by the sudden decrease in space between them and continues to babble on.

“No way! And your practitioner let all of you use her time to sleep?! Mine at the time could never!” Peter clutches his stomach, humored at her current story.

[Name] covers her lips with her hand while letting out a few strings of giggles as well. “Yeah! You wouldn’t believe how fast I knocked out. It was freshmen year and all of us in the class didn’t sleep because of a design plate that covered seventy percent of our grade,” her nose wrinkles at the memory. As inexperienced she was during that time, it was literal hell and everyone that night was active in the class group-chat, asking questions similar to what’s the standard dimensions of a master bedroom, powder room, what was the standard door width; all that panicked planning.

“She probably felt bad ‘cause all of us looked like shit.”

Peter snaps his fingers. “Ah, so _you’re_ the class I saw passed out in one of the bigger mess halls.”

“Yep, that’s us. No one bothered to go their separate ways and just thought to stick together as if to make a statement, it was funny. Worth the high grade I got after that.”

Peter chuckles at her boast. “On a related note, I’ve never seen you that much at MIT, which is ironic since I mostly have my classes in the same building where you have yours—not that I know you do but uh… I had a few architect acquaintances back then.”

He’s right though, they both had some classes at the same building and for sure, [Name] saw him often and one would think it was the same for Peter, but that’s not exactly the case.

She’s just  _that_ good at hiding that she literally has it labeled as a legitimate skill, a hidden talent that sprouted from her ridiculous, last-minute plans of action to prevent any awkward interactions with Peter, or anyone from Midtown High who also made the cut. In her defense, her then painfully bashful nature was the cause of the rather odd self-defense, leaving little to no room for her to gather up the courage to strike up a conversation in the halls, much less being seen by him.

[Name] squirms, now thinking back at how stupid it was. “Uh, well… I spent my time at the university library and study halls, mostly.” Now that isn’t a total lie, she does frequent in those places, yet she couldn’t say the truth either. It doesn’t sound that bad, sure, but the reason is kinda weird; is it even valid?  _Yeah I was just too shy so I had to yeet myself out of there before you catch me mid freak-out._ Maybe not. “Or I head back to my dorm room if my break lasts for hours.”

“Ah, that explains it. It’s the same for me. Plus, the campus is really big, and scattered. It’s exhausting to even think about it.” He smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling and [Name] can’t help but to admire how impossibly good-looking he is, still having the boyish charm complimenting his still baby-face. “But it’s great that you made it tonight! It’s been what, five? Six years since high school?”

“Holy shit. It’s been  _that_ long already?”

Peter chuckles. “Yeah, it has been. Couldn’t believe it myself either until I saw you—er, everyone else.” She doesn’t know of it’s a trick of the light but his gaze appears a lot softer. “You look well these days. With the dream job and all.”

[Name] laughs, absolutely beaming at the subtle flattery. “And _you_ don’t? Stark Industries? Like dude, that’s pretty fucking awesome. Tony Stark’s your boss!  _The_ Tony Stark!”

“It’s not that big of a deal.” Peter’s face reddens. “A lot of people work for him. Oh, and It' Mrs. Stark who I work for, mostly."

“Still, you’re the only one from our batch who works for them! You interned for him since  _high school._ I think you deserve some credit, my guy.”

He coughs into his fist, “Alright, fine. Whatever you say, Architect.” [Name] rolls her eyes. “Do you want to get a drink? I’m pretty sure Ned and the rest would love to see you too.”

She smiles, straightening up. “Sure. Lead the way, Parker. I’m pretty parched anyway.”

“Of course, m’lady.”

“Oh shut it.”

* * *

[Name] has no idea where the hell her crippling shyness has gone to (the inner makings of alcohol a.k.a, liquid courage) because as of the moment, she finds herself talking to Betty and Sally as the three of them sat down on the couch, the latter girls gushing to her about how delicious the cream puffs are, much to her delight.

Time is non-existent at this point. For instance, the party’s alive as ever and everyone genuinely looked like they were having fun. [Name] had the pleasure to meet Ned, still being the sweetest, by the way, and she almost forgot how comforting his hugs were. The plush man is still as enthusiastic as she remembers and she coos when he proudly tells her that’s he’s currently taken by Betty herself, who seems as smitten as Ned was when he gushed about the blonde beauty.

As [Name] hopped from one place to another to have a chat with people she was fairly acquainted in the past—Flash surprising the heck out of her since he mellowed out slightly from being an asshole—she can’t help the feeling that she’s being watched. It wasn’t uncomfortable, per se, it doesn’t feel like they had benevolent intentions; it felt more like they’re looking after her, but less subtle and more obvious. She really can’t say who she thinks is monitoring her well-being as it would be embarrassing to base it on pure assumptions, so she lets it be, opting to continue on conversing with Abraham.

As time went on, however, [Name] slowly gets the hint on who might have been acting as her guardian for the night. She isn’t entirely sure of her observations, but coming across it thrice in a row is no way a coincidence anymore. It’s just [Name] notices that wherever she was, Peter was somehow in close proximity, either also talking to someone or doing something else entirely, but the main thing that remain consistent is that he’s always within sight. She decides to not think much of it though, and chooses to believe that he’s also doing his own bit of catching up. Understandably, university was a very busy time, now that everyone probably had their careers sorted out, it’s evident that time is a major key factor that prevented Peter from hanging out as often as he likes with his high school peers, from being busy and all.

If there’s anything to take away from the peculiar series of actions done by Peter, if and  _if_ her baseless assumptions are right, the guy might as well be a concerned host that just had to make sure [Name] is having a blast. Does this perk come with that glorified pass Martha gave her? Because she has no idea whether to be thankful or skeptical of the following thing the brunet has going on, not saying that she hates the attention but,  _why._ She doesn’t look that helpless, right?

By the time [Name] reaches the kitchen to fetch her coat and purse, it's clear that everyone is buzzed by the alcohol from the large amount the crowd had consumed in the early hours. Some are probably drunk out of their minds, who knows? [Name] hadn’t drank all too much really, maybe feeling a little tipsy to the point the absence of the usual tension surrounding her is palpable, but she can definitely vouch she’s sober enough to drive herself home without the possibility of being pulled over for drunk-driving or experiencing a hangover in the upcoming morning. (Drink responsibly, kids!)

That would suck ass, considering she has work the next day.

After bidding farewell to some people who had left her delighted with catching up, such as MJ, Ned, Betty, Sally, Flash and a handful of other people, she seeks out for Peter, the person she may or may not have only came for at first. It’d be rude to leave without him knowing. After all, he was the one who invited her lonely ass. Thankfully, the search doesn’t take too long, because she finds him not a minute later approaching her.

“Hey, [Last Name]! There you are! I was looking all over for you!”

“Oh! I was actually looking for you too,” [Name] smiles, hugging her coat and purse to her chest. “It’s getting pretty late and I wanted to say goodbye.”

“Oh…” she doesn’t know if it’s the alcohol messing with her brain but Peter appears kind of dejected at that, only momentarily though as he soon returns to his perky state, soft smile and all; if not, but a shy dopey as if he didn’t look like a kicked puppy before. “You sure? Some of us are heading out for more drinks after the party. Wanna come with us? It’ll be fun!”

She raises an eyebrow, “haven’t you had enough alcohol?”

“Oh trust me, I can hold my liquor.” He winks. [Name] bites her cheek from reacting. “So what do you say?”

“I—I would love to really, but I have to say no to the offer. I’ve got work tomorrow. I’m sorry.” She frowns.

“Ah, yeah… no, I’m sorry, that completely slipped my mind but um,” he smooths his hands down his pants. “Can I at least take you to your car? You do have a car right? If not, I can drive you—“

“Peter, relax,” [Name] huffs out a laugh, completely endeared by him and his silly ramblings. “Yes you can take me and yes I have a car, you don’t have to drive me.” Peter visibly calms down at her reassurance. Huh, maybe she should have forced the girls to take the car.

Then again, the guilt will definitely eat her alive from pulling him away, knowing he has his party still going on so that’s a definite no for now.

“Oh, okay,” he gulps. “Do you… do you have everything you need?”

“Yeah. Just my coat and purse. Let’s go?”

* * *

Martha smiles knowingly when [Name] waves to her once she steps off of the elevator with Peter following closely behind, the latter shooting the receptionist an inquisitive look when she waves back before going back to her work. He doesn't think much of it as he nods to one of the security guards, guiding the female out into the cold night, a hand resting gently on her lower back.

She definitely did not blush, nope. That’s just the light playing tricks again.

“Well, this is me.” [Name] says, once reaching her car. “It was nice seeing you again, Peter.”

“Likewise, [Last Name].” A smile spread onto his lips, his hand shoved in his pockets. “This may sound weird but uh… is it too much to ask for your number? I know there’s this messaging app already but I kinda wanted to reach you easily, ya’know—I’m not forcing you or anything it’s just—“

“Peter,  _breathe,_ ” [Name] chortles. The man stutters out a forced laugh of his own. “And no, I don’t think it’s weird, silly. Here, I’ll give you my phone to put your number in.” Peter gratefully plucks out the device from her grasp and quickly after that, he hands over his for her to do the same.

“Thanks and um…” the brunet scratches his cheek, his phone tucked safely in his back pocket. “While I’m at it, would you like to hang-out sometime? Possibly, maybe?”

A dazed sort of hum falls from her lips, eyes blinking once, twice until her reply comes out in a stutter when realizing what he had just asked, “that—that’d be nice, yes. Definitely.”

“Great!” Peter looked almost relieved when he sucks in a quick breath of his own, exhaling afterwards with a megawatt smile that seemed brighter than the street-lamps scattered across the streets combined. God, is he the sun? “Great, that’s awesome! Well uh, I guess this is where we say goodbye?”

“Sure is.” [Name] smiles, arms spread wide enough for him to just walk into her embrace. Her eyes close, savoring the warmth from Peter. “Just give me a call, yeah?” She pulls back, peering into his eyes. “Or send me a message. Whichever suits your taste.”

“Yeah, of course.”

* * *

[Name] awakens with a start. Her eyes shooting open the moment the shrill sound of her phone alarm going off to start the day. A garbled groan falls from her dry lips as she stretches, a hand blindly searching under the covers for the device to put the blaring to a stop before she loses her mind. It’s unknown to her exactly what the time was when she arrived home. It’s like her body automatically switched to auto-pilot when leaving her boots discarded right by the front door, immediately crossing the room to reach her bathroom to do her nightly skin-care routine.

She might have been tired but that doesn’t give her the excuse to sleep with makeup on.

[Name] guesses it was very late into the night, once registering the ache spreading through her body, and the slight pounding in her head. That doesn’t mesh well when she struggles to keep her eyes open, phone lifted above her face to check if she had gotten any messages from her friends.

Unsurprisingly, there are a few, along with one or two missed calls. All of them are probably products of a drunken haze, but she doesn’t worry about it too much, considering the boys might have done their jobs to pick them up before the girls end up doing something they'd later regret in their mornings, hungover.

But what made her eyes fully open, sleep already fading as her eyes continue to flit through the more recent text messages (as recent as they can be) are a few from Peter himself, one being received from thirty minutes ago or so.

> **_Peter P. [1:45AM]:_ ** _hey! Hope you got home safe!_
> 
> **_Peter P. [2:10 AM]:_ ** _assuming you did, you’re probably asleep rn lol_
> 
> **_Peter P. [2:11AM]:_ ** _goodnight!_
> 
> **_Peter P. [7:38AM]:_ ** _good morning! Hope you have a nice day!_

Safe to say, there’s an extra pep to [Name’s] steps as she leaves her bedroom, the drowsiness she felt moments prior gone once she starts preparing breakfast.

* * *

> **_[Name] [Last Name] [8:16AM]:_ ** _likewise! Tell Mr. Stark I said hi lol_

“Hey, kid! I kinda need your help in here!”

“Coming, Mr. Stark!” Peter takes one last look at the message, a large grin spread on his lips before pocketing his phone to rush towards the direction Tony's laboratory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what this means ;) MORE PETER IN THE UPCOMING CHAPTERS Y E E T this chapter is actually longer than the previous one like??? 4K+ words um if I had published it as one chapter it would have been over 7K words eye--
> 
> Kudos and comments are much, MUCH appreciated (pls I'm begging to know what yall think ;; tell me it's good, tell me it's shit)


	5. in his eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He isn’t upset at the development, he’s just… lost? Stumped? Discombobulated? Basically put every synonym of confused into Peter and that’s what he exactly feels at the moment. It’s not just that though, he feels something else. Lighter, softer, warmer and dare he says it, giddy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mostly a filler chapter but ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Peter has always had two things on his mind that remained constant as he grew with the years: his family and his job. One wouldn’t be the same without the other. For instance, with his job of being Spider-Man; he has to constantly worry about his family and friends—the people close to him, especially aunt May. The head-strong woman practically raised him like her own son, providing for him to the best of her ability. It’s only natural for Peter to feel the way he does, knowing that she’s the closest he has to a mother. If something were to happen to her, he wouldn’t know what to do besides carrying that guilt with him for the rest of his life.

He’d constantly bounce back and forth from one to the other; worrying about one, worrying about both and worry about worrying. The feeling comes and goes, but he knows that it’s a permanent thing in his life now, right when that fucking radioactive spider bit him. He never regretted it though. What is there to regret other then being unaware of an arachnid invading your personal space? Going to the place where the spider was, scouting out for its prey? Maybe.

Well, Peter  _had_ two specific things on his mind. It just so happens, funnily enough, it turned into three. Three factors that has his head spinning and Peter… well, Peter is Peter and what does he do when an unexpected change occurs?

Nothing.

Because he doesn’t know what to do.

He isn’t upset at the development, he’s just… lost? Stumped? Discombobulated? Basically put every synonym of confused into Peter and that’s what he exactly feels at the moment. It’s not just that though, he feels something else. Lighter, softer, warmer and dare he says it,  _giddy?_

God what is he, a teenager?

That could be it, considering the unnecessary excessive time he’s spent on his phone. One would think he’d be doing something productive with a one of a kind Stark Phone that  _the_ Tony Stark himself made for Peter. A device so technologically advanced that even the best brand of phone on the market right now could never beat it and surely the Stark Phone would have been of help in overlooking the stocks for Stark Industries or something that involved Peter’s job of being Tony’s right-hand man in the lab, and occasional assistance to his wife, Mrs. Pepper Potts-Stark, right?

_Wrong._

“Anyone wanna tell me what the hell is wrong with Parker?” Flash strolls into Peter’s living room, face twisted into something similar as annoyed when he continues to analyze the brunet zeroed in on his glorified phone. “Or his phone? How long has he been staring at it? Did he even  _blink?_ ”

“He’s not dying, if that’s what you’re worried about.” MJ drawls out from her position on the ground, stomach flat against the carpet as she reads a book with her chin resting on the palm of her hand.

Flash grimaces, appalled at the idea. “He’s fucking Spider-Man, why would I?”

“Besides the fact that he’s been out of it since the party? I’d say you should be.” Ned supplies, shooting a knowing look in Peter’s direction. “Also, if I remember correctly, you literally lost your damn mind during our European trip, thinking Peter was gonna die from a fucking gash on his side. A gash? That didn’t even look that deep?”

He clicks his tongue. “In my defense, I didn’t know he healed fast and I didn’t want to carry the guilt of having someone die on our trip, okay? Okay.” Ned and MJ didn’t look the least convinced, though Flash doesn’t care and diverts the attention back to Peter. “What’s wrong with him though, really? Got laid and now he misses whoever that poor person was?”

“Not exactly.” MJ smirks, “but you’re kind of close.”

Flash’s eyebrows shoot up in interest, “you don’t say?”

Peter sighs, throwing his head back in exasperation. “You guys are aware that I’m here, right?”

“We wouldn’t talk shit about you if we aren’t.” MJ states, matter-of-factly.

Peter looks pleadingly at Ned, who in turns raises his hands in defense, “hey, I defended your honor, not shit on it. Don’t look at me like that.”

“So it  _is_ a person,” Flash hums in thought. “Do I want to know who though?”

MJ snickers. “If architects are your type, you’d be as brain-dead as that guy.” Peter rolls his eyes, ignoring the insult.

“Holy shit. [Name]? As in _[Name] [Last Name]?_ ” The woman hums in confirmation. “I talked to her that night. She’s still shy as I remembered, but it was kinda charming. She’s really pretty too.” Flash smirks, “hey, if you change your mind, I’d be willing to step into your place.”

Flash yelps when a pillow hits his face. “No objectifying fellow women, please.”

“Too late. I already got her number before you did so back off.” It’s Peter’s turn to yell in surprise at an unexpected attack from a pillow. “MJ!”

“No. Shut up, both of you.”

“You  _literally_ set us up? You left both of us on the upper floor!”

“Still doesn’t grant you a pass, loser.”

* * *

Peter has never deemed himself a party person.

Back in high school, he was rarely invited to any and the first ever party he’d had ever attended, in the suburbs mind you, was his then crush’s, Liz Allan. Although, he knew to appreciate the extra work put into them whenever he’s in the mood to have fun with his friends. So technically yes, he isn’t what you would call a avid party goer, but it wouldn’t hurt to let loose sometimes.

One can imagine the surprise everyone exhibited at that exact moment Peter presented the idea to his friends. The scene was entirely comical to any onlookers’ eyes that it would see fit to become an inspiration for a sitcom of some sorts to transpire, and while the gang wasn’t opposed to the idea, they surely did find it quite odd.

It’s a good thing that they didn’t ask him to go further into detail about why he thought of throwing one. They seem to buy the whole reunion card even when it’s usually supposed to be ten years after. But to each their own, they guessed. And to be fair, six years is already a long time and Peter would rather die than to explain how the idea came to.

It’s pretty ridiculous and extra, to be frank, but he had no other plausible idea that doesn’t involve making him look pathetic. Though, now looking back at it, he appears to be so.

From how the idea came into mind, it was rather strange and impulsive. Prior to the day he started to plan for the “reunion”, he was looking through some old stuff of his, no particular goal in mind other than to pass time. There were some of his old textbooks, a notebook that had his very, very old formula of his web fluid, a class photo from year 2017, an old worksheet—a class photo? He kept that?

Peter tilts his head as his fingers went tracing back to the glossy finish of the photo. It looked a little worn-out, the colors obviously had started to fade within time. Nonetheless, it was clear enough to recognize most of the people he’d chatted with once or twice during his sophomore year where he was quite new to the hero scene, having occasional mentoring from Iron Man himself.

A smile lights up his features as he observes the outdated photo, letting occasional laughter spill from his lips once his eyes land on someone while recalling a specific memory he had with them. Like how he snorts when observing the shirt Ned had on was courtesy of him losing a bet with Peter, penalty being that he had to wear shirts with the cringe-worthy scientific puns for a week; or when he almost chokes at the god-awful hairstyle Flash sported back then. Safe to say, the undercut worked well with his dark, curly hair in recent times.

He does this with every person his gaze landed on, whether he had little to no recollection with the individual, it’s entertaining to relive the silly moments he was part of during his youth.

Then his eyes stop on a smiling face of girl beside him in the photo, Peter also sharing the exact same expression and from how close they stood together, it seemed that they had been talking before it was taken; after a few moments of observing, he starts to recall every single moment he had with her.

Back in freshmen and sophomore year, it wasn’t just him and Ned, [Name] was there too. The trio was a tight-knit group and to everyone who knew them, it was considered weird to see one or two missing. Everybody knew Peter and Ned were inseparable, they were and still are the best of friends, having to know each other for years.

Peter and [Name’s] dynamic however, was a little different. They first met at the start of high school and the two were close enough to be considered best friends by the majority who had seen them deep in their own world, but not close enough for Peter to share his secret of having a double life as an arachnid inclined vigilante.

He wanted to tell her, really, It wouldn't be fair if only Ned knew. Peter already had the words planted in his mind and an array of answers and reassurances at the ready if she were ever to lash out, being the worry-wart that she was. But whenever his mouth would open to do just that, the words would die on his tongue and he would think it wasn’t the right time to spill his alter-ego. Maybe then she would have stuck with them longer, becoming a constant face in his life like his friends are as of current.

[Name] was there as some sort of an emotional support. She was always willing to listen to Peter and/or Ned talk about whatever was bothering them during those times and she always knew what to say to alleviate the negative emotions they were feeling. The boys thought it was kinda cool that she knew how to get along with them, despite being the opposite gender and having different interests, and she knew how to put them in their places whenever they got too much for her. Sure she was known to be shy and a little timid, but boy you’d be in for a treat if you manage to piss off one of the most soft-spoken people in the school.

The most prominent memory he had with her involved study-sessions and the constant appearance of [Name’s] iPod touch with the trademarked Apple earbuds. It was how they bonded. They’d either do homework or study while sharing the earbuds as some soft lo-fi song plays at an appropriate volume so they could still understand what the other was saying and Peter, safe to say, appreciates this considering his hearing is a bit sensitive. Ned was mostly out of the picture though, from having a set of slightly strict parents, leaving Peter to be the closest to the female.

Admittedly, he liked hanging out with [Name]. It’s a change of pace from being bombarded by Ned’s ever jolly nature and sometimes, Peter would rather listen to the soft voice of the female. She wasn’t that much of a talker, really, but she talked a lot whenever she was with with them, more so with Peter. Even with just her presence and the comfortable silence that came with her all together, it’s still fun to spend some quality time with the girl and May never hid how thrilled she was whenever [Name] came over.

Until one day, from Peter, Ned and [Name], it was left to only Peter and Ned. 

In reality, it was a gradual process of her "leaving" and it started when it was months before sophomore year ended.

It was when [Name] had gotten to talk to a few girls a little more, some who resonated well with her quiet nature. She used to sit with Peter and Ned all the time during lunch and she even waited for either one of them at their lockers to walk together to the cafeteria. However, as time went on, her appearances were becoming less and less, until she stopped showing up all together.

The boys had never resent her for it. They already figured that at some point, [Name] would want to mingle with the same gender, preferably with the same interests, and from what they can see, she seems to be enjoying spending time with them. There were definitely some changes she had undergone. From the way she dressed, to the way she looked, it’s like watching a flower bloom right in front of their eyes. Still, some old habits remained, one being soft-spoken as she was the first time Peter met her.

Peter also had his own tight-knit group by the end of junior year, the same people he went on the European trip that had him acquire a girlfriend (MJ) during it too and ever since then, Peter and [Name] continue to drift apart, only waving to each other whenever they saw the other, serving as their only interactions throughout the remainder of high school.

Sometimes, Peter wished he could have put in more effort to have her remain as one of his closest friends, hell it would have made university a lot more fun if they still had the study-sessions. She always made studying exciting, having creative ways when it comes to quizzing each other. So it isn’t really surprising whenever he saw [Name] at MIT—which is very rare occurrence—he always had this look of awe as a permanent expression for her, fascinated with how well she looks so put together (to him at least) despite her grueling program, while he, on the other hand, looked like he went through hell and back studying for one class.

And by looking at the class photo in his hand, he has no clue why he feels his heart tug all of a sudden as he continues to gaze at the younger version of [Name].

Does he miss her? Sure, maybe. Does he want to rekindle the lost friendship they had? Possibly. But why? Why now of all times? Why now when years had already come and gone with a blink of an eye? He could have done something all those years ago without having to resort to an absurd plan. Sadly, his mind was elsewhere for the most part and still, it doesn’t exactly make up for the lost time wasted. Whatever reason he comes up with, it won’t really cover up the fact that he could have done anything to reconnect, preferably any course of action that didn’t require waiting for six, goddamn years.

However, it still doesn’t explain the sudden tightness in his chest. Ever since he had acquired his powers all those years ago, it’s rare for him to fall sick, much less contract something serious to cause any pain, so the pinch in his heart isn’t really alarming. Regardless of the reassurance that he isn’t about to go into cardiac arrest, what has got him thinking is that he felt it right after looking at an old picture of a friend.

_“You’re lonely, aren’t you?”_

Peter would always say ‘no’ whenever MJ, the ever so perceptive gal that she is, asks that question. But now, he felt like he has been lying all those times he answered.

He’s fully aware that he’s slowly reaching the “halfway to 50” mark, and Peter is still, unfortunately single. It’s not a bad thing, his friends would say with reassurance, but he begs to differ when almost everyone surrounding him is in either a casual, sex only type of setup like Flash is currently in, or an actual serious relationship Betty and Ned have. He probably would’ve had something similar with MJ, but they both thought it’d be better to stay as friends.

They even tried to set him up with a multitude of diverse people, but to be honest, he found none of them appealing. He doesn't know if he’s picky, or just not interested.

Well, that is until he sees [Name] at the party.

It was an instant attraction, definitely. She looked gorgeous that night, absolutely stunning that he felt his heart soar to new heights when she flashes him one of her pretty smiles and when they hugged, oh God it was like he walked into a bakery. She smelt so incredibly sweet with a hint of something citrusy, a scent that suited her perfectly.

Not only does she have a pretty face, but she’s also a hard worker which is one thing Peter’s very familiar with, and his expectations for her to land her dream job goes without question. With a demanding career, that also came with the fact that she had a good head on her shoulders, that [Name] was worthy enough to hold the title of “Ideal Woman” if people one day were to bring plaque cards with them to let society know what kind of person they were. For sure, a lot of individuals would flock to her, no questions asked.

Even with the remarkable characteristics that sprouted from her hard work and determination, she still remained as the shy and humble woman he got the pleasure of befriending. [Name] is the literal definition of demure that she would probably be considered as the perfect example as it showed in her every action. From her soft smile to the way she moves and talks—smart and articulate, yet gentle and smooth—for some reason, the stark contrast between her status in life and her bashful nature is so interesting to think about. Like how can an uncanny mix of two different things worked almost so perfectly?

Peter’s mind can’t seem to wrap around it, yet he can’t seem to get enough of it.

Ugh, it’s like he’s a teenage boy with a raging crush again.  _Yikes._ He remembered very well of how much of a mess he was with Liz Allan. He was head over heels with her, right up until she moved away due to her father being a criminal.

But this time, it’s with a woman who he had never expected to win over his affection in one night? Holy shit, this is all so cliché, what the hell?

Is this what he gets for being single for so long? Like at first sight with the prettiest woman he has ever laid eyes on at his party? Though, he wasn’t really against it. Maybe it’s a sign that he should get back in the dating scene. But what would [Name] think? That he was pursuing her just because it was convenient for him? He’s pretty sure there was  _something_ between them, like a spark or some shit like that. He has enhanced hearing—not that she knows—and certainly her racing heart wasn’t oh so conveniently caused by him, because when she was talking to MJ, her heart rate was pretty normal.

God, he sounds like such a dick when putting it like that. It’s as if he’s taking advantage of the situation, but that’s why he hadn't made his move yet! It would be a little weird to ask her out right after the party, wouldn’t it—

“Oh God, what the hell is wrong with Parker’s face?”

“Yeah, Pete. You’ve been staring at your phone with this weird smile.” MJ’s face twists. “Please don’t tell me it’s porn.”

Peter’s face explodes into a beautiful shade of red. “ _What—_ no! No no no no—why  _porn_  of all things?!”

“I don’t know, being single for so long makes you do things—“

“No no! Stop it!”

Everyone, minus Peter, share a laugh at the disgruntled brunet. “Seriously, what’s up? Is it [Name]?”

Ned sighs. “Come on, guys. Give him a break,” he then diverts his attention back to Peter. “Is it though?”

“No!” Flash and MJ both stare at him blankly, clearly not buying it. “... yes.”

“So? Just ask her out? Isn’t that the reason why you asked for her number?”

“I asked her for it so I could reach her easier.”

“Not a valid reason. Nope. Did you even ask her out? It’s been what, a week at most?”

“We text each other… sometimes." Peter scrunches his nose. "She’s mostly busy though, with work. You know… architect and all.”

“Then at least text her for a head’s up? Watching you mope around is bad for my health.”

“Wuh—you three let yourselves in! I didn’t _ask_ you guys to come over!”

“Yeah, well you’re the only one with a nice place so of course we’re taking advantage of you to feel the luxury.” Flash’s smirk widens, “but I’m sure [Name] has a  _nicer_ place, which means a nicer bed—“

Peter squawks, cutting off whatever suggestive comment Flash was about to say. “Alright fine, if I ask her out for, I don’t know, coffee, will you get off my back?”

MJ lifts an eyebrow. “Peter, are we even your friends if we do? Remember, you’re stuck with us until you're on your death bed.”

“We made a pact during our trip to London, just so you know.” Ned adds. “Even if it was a little traumatic for me and Betty.”

“Awe, it’s cute that he thinks that he can get away from this friendship with death.” Flash coos, ruffling Peter’s curls to which he swats his hand for. “But seriously, call or text her and see if she’s up for it.”

Peter sighs, picking up his phone. “What more can I lose?”

Yes, Peter  _had_ two specific things on his mind that are constant. It just so happens, funnily enough, it turned into three, courtesy by [Name] [Last Name] who managed to claim the new empty spot while sending his mind into a frenzy in a short amount of time just like that.

Peter’s fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates from now will probabaly be slower djkfhkdjfh I go back to uni for my 2nd year of Communication and Media Arts hhh
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated!! (for the love of god pls tell me ur thoughts)


	6. ma'am, this isn't starbucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I should have brought him to somewhere else. Like Starbucks or something… not here._

The first thing [Name] does once relieved of the renovation for a restaurant up-state—interior design wise—is to treat herself to a pamper session as soon as she steps foot into her apartment. It’s the usual eat to your heart's content all the while relaxing with a mud mask covering most of her face as she binge-watches anything interesting Netflix has to offer.

Stressful is what she could use to describe the project. The client was a complete nightmare to work with, especially the fact that they were so entitled to their choice. Yes it was her job to cater to their wants but when it comes to choosing the right material, not just for the aesthetic purpose but also the functionality and resilience of it, it was her job to educate her clients on what will fit best. It just so happens that the client’s—a middle-aged man who obviously had a ridiculous superiority complex—inputs and suggestions he provided were no where close to the two previously mentioned factors.

It was a long duration of her trying to suggest what she thinks would be best—the architecture gods were probably praising her perseverance—until the man gave in. Everything pretty much went smoothly after that, still, the lingering presence of pressure and stress were there as she watched the workers tend to their duties to renovate the restaurant.

It’s no surprise that her friends invite themselves over a few days after, Nicole having a spare key (“for emergencies only!”) while the rest came bearing food and drinks. As much as [Name] would have preferred being left alone for a few days to recollect her lost energy and will to live, she’s a little grateful that they went out of their way to reach out and spend some time with her. All in all, it puts a smile on her face when they all make themselves comfortable in the living area.

[Name] lost track of how many movies they have gone through. Sadly, her attention drifted towards her phone most of them time; she wasn’t really invested in the movies at all, besides when it came to the most intense parts of them. To be completely honest, she may have been anticipating a text or even a call from a certain someone, yet that might have an unlikely chance to be received, considering Peter went on total radio silence since weeks ago. She fully understands that he’s busy with his own thing, however it was quite jarring that she had heard nothing from him in so long. Usually he would let [Name] know if he were up to something.

Apparently it’s not too long before [Name’s] friends notice the distressed waves oozing from the silent female. One by one, all their eyes shift from the television to the girl pouting in the comfort of her wool blanket wrapped securely around her frame. [Name] doesn’t really pick up the change in the atmosphere, too invested in switching in and out of a handful of applications on her phone, her expression growing more and more distressed as each second passes.

Ivan, the ever dramatic man that he is, heaves out an exaggerated sigh. [Name’s] face twists at that, but doesn’t show any signs of her actually acknowledging it and so, Ivan does it again, putting more vigor into it which ends up with him sounding like an elephant in distress.

Needless to say, the architect in question finally,  _finally_  looks at him in concern. Well, it’s more of a death glare than anything really but at least it did the trick.

“What the  _hell_ , Ivan?” She says through gritted teeth.

The coal-haired man ignores the underlying hostility in her words, “now that I’ve got your attention, what’s up with you?”

“Nothing? I’m perfectly fine if you want me to be specific. What’s it to you?”

Clark snorts. “Defensive, are we?”

[Name] cocks an eyebrow, “he asked so I answered. Can we all just watch the movie?”

“See, here’s the thing,” Liza pinches the bridge of her nose. “You haven’t even paid attention to anything we’ve watched so far, being too busy on that phone of yours.”

“No I wasn't!”

“Yeah, you were.” All of them chorused.

“So tell us what the fuck is more important that you ignored family bonding time to be on that phone,” Nicole pushes on, arms crossing. “Tell us the truth. Either way, we’ll know if you’re bullshitting us.”

“I’m just…” [Name] eyes flicker to her phone. “Stressed.”

“Yeah, no.” Clarks clears his throat, arms raised up high to stretch. [Name’s] makes a face, knowing fully well he’s just flexing his muscles. “You hesitated back there.”

“I did not!”

“Yeah you did.”

“So what if I did? It happens!”

“But what are you stressing about? You’re pretty much free until your boss hands you another project.” Amalia points out as she shoves a handful of popcorn in her mouth. “Unless…”

Nicole snaps her fingers, eyes shining in realization. “It’s Peter, isn’t it.” [Name’s] face automatically flushes, curling more into herself as far as she could. “I knew it! Y’all exchanged numbers right? He hasn’t asked you out yet, huh?”

“I don’t even want to know how you figured that out.”

“It’s pretty obvious. The one time you acted like a paranoid girlfriend was when you were with—“

[Name] cuts her off with a shout, “yeah! Okay I get it! And I’m not paranoid! Besides, college me was a dumbass.”

“Still doesn’t explain why you’re acting like one.”

“Can we just drop it? It’s not even that big of a deal.”

“If it isn't, then why won’t you tell us what’s up with you and Peter?”

“Because there’s nothing going on between us? No offense, but if there was, I don’t have to share everything that goes on with my personal life. Especially anything related to him,” [Name] huffs. “I don’t just revolve around him, you know.”

“Fair point.” Rain shrugs. “You know we’re just looking out for you.”

“Right,” she rubs her temple. “Sorry. Look,” she places her phone on the coffee table. “Let’s just go back to watching. Didn’t you guys come over for that reason specifically?”

She’s right and they left it at that, but it still doesn’t ease their suspicions especially when Nicole had casually dropped Peter’s name. [Name’s] attraction to the brunet is as clear as day, yet she had never disclosed the fact. They understand why, to be frank, especially the men in the circle. After all, they still feel the ghost of guilt from time to time whenever they think back to what had transpired during their freshman year. It’s evident that the past still clung onto [Name] that she underwent a few notable changes as well, but that’s a story for another time; whenever she feels ready to talk about it again.

* * *

[Name] tries to make her way to the kitchen with little noise as possible, having her friends stay for the night with the guys camping out in the living area and the girls slumbering peacefully in her room. So far, none of the guys stir when she switches one on of the warmer spotlights  in the kitchen when reaching for one of the glasses to quench her thirst with some water.

It’s around midnight when she finds herself snacking on some buttered toast, casually sitting on the kitchen floor, waiting for that wave of drowsiness to finally hit her—at least that was the plan originally.

 _Nah_. She thinks.  _I can’t sleep after this_.

She really can’t, with her phone choosing that perfect time to ring.

Panicking, she scrambles to her feet, all the while taking a quick peek of who the hell thought it was great to call at this time of the night.

One thing she isn’t expecting  _at all_ for something to come out of this uneventful evening is a call at midnight, a call from Peter Parker at midnight, specifically. Once clicking one of the volume buttons to silent the ringing, she immediately checks for any signs of the guys waking up from the shrill sound of her phone. Thankfully enough, none of them stir.

She taps the green answer icon, bringing her phone to her ear.

“Hello?” She says quietly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion from hearing what seems to be the nightlife of New York on the other end. “Peter?”

_“[Last Name] hey! I didn’t wake you up, did I?”_

She giggles at the light panic present at his greeting, “you’re fine, I couldn’t sleep anyways.” Her cheeks are starting to ache from how big the smile on her face is. It’s the first time he called and boy does it do wonders to her poor heart. “What’s up? And are you outside? It’s a bit noisy.”

 _“Ah, yeah! I’m just uh… talking a walk!”_ [Name] cringes at the rather obnoxious horn sounding from Peter’s end.  _“Say, are you free next week?”_

“Considering I just finished a project recently, It’s safe to say I could take it easy if I wanted. Why?”

 _“Perfect!”_ He exclaims.  _“Mr. Stark gave me a few days off for next week and I was thinking…”_

“Yeah?” [Name] whispers, her teeth sinking into her lower lip in anticipation.

_“Would you like to meet up? Hang-out for old time’s sake?”_

“Yeah, I’d love to.” She sighs. Hopefully Peter won’t decipher it for being dreamy. “Got anything planned? Or would you prefer one of our many study sessions with some lo-fi beats?” She jokes, grinning when she hears his breath hitch.

 _“You… you remember those?”_ Peter sounds breathless, and for a moment there, she felt like she was too.

“How could I? You  _loved_ my iPod touch.” A laugh furthers the indignation in his protests. “Anyway, jokes aside, what’s the plan?”

_“Oh yeah. Well um, I thought we could meet somewhere and just decided from there? Like a little adventure of our own… or something.”_

“Or something,” [Name] repeats, “that doesn’t sound half-bad, Parker. A little adventure won’t hurt.”

_“Okay, cool! I’ll just let you know when and where we’ll meet. Also, I wanted to ask…”_

“Yes, what is it?”

_“Why are you whispering? Or is that how you normally sound and I’m just really at a noisy place.”_

Her eyes rolls at the outdated jab to her habit which she proudly grew out of. “Ha ha, very funny. No, this is not how I sound in real life.” To prove that point, she lets her voice return to its normal level of volume for a short moment, minding the sleeping trio. “I have friends over and they camped out in the living area. I’m in the kitchen, just so you know.”

 _“Wow I really chose the wrong time to call.”_ He chuckles. _“Hopefully we didn’t wake anyone up?”_

“Nah, you’re good. The guys are usually heavy sleepers.” [Name] snorts. “It’ll take a lot for them to wake up.”

 _“What a relief.”_  He pauses for a moment.  _“So… what have you been up to lately?”_

“As I’ve said, I’ve been taking it easy—having some time for myself ‘s all. What about you? Don’t mean to sound nosy but uh… you’ve been quiet for a while so… did something happen?”

 _“Oh!”_  Peter laughs. It’s short but contagious, having the architect let out a few titters of her own to follow. _“That, well! Mr. Stark had left me with some things to do—babysitting his daughter, for one and I went with Mrs. Stark to a few of her business trips. I just got back from one yesterday actually.”_

“Ooh look at you. Gotta admit, kind of envious that you get to work with people like them. It’s amazing to think about, really.” She admits, leaning against the counter.

 _“Me? Look at you! You’re doing what you love and your work is just as amazing! If not more!_ ”

“Oh? How’d you know that?”

_“I—I might have read about you in one of those magazines that feature designers and the like?”_

“You keeping tabs on me, Parker? Never pegged you to read architecture and interior design catalogs.” [Name] makes a start to tiptoe towards the balcony, sliding the door close as quietly as possible when the cool air brushes against her skin.

 _“I swear to God, I’m not,”_  Peter sputters. _“I got bored and saw a magazine in Mr. Stark’s lab and—shit!”_

“Pete? Is everything okay?”

_“Yeah! Everything’s fine! I uh, gotta go and head back. I’ll see you soon!”_

“Alright. Stay safe!”

Peter hangs up as soon as she bids her farewell, the woman gazing at her phone questioningly at the haste she catches in his tone. Though, the thought doesn’t linger too long in her mind, opting to gaze at the late-night scenery before her.

* * *

The leather couch squeaks when [Name] shifts in her seat, her fingers catching onto the edge of her dress, an attempt to cover her knees with it, regardless of the thick, black tights covering her legs. Peter and she decided to meet up at Stark Tower, specifically in the lounge area, in close proximity to Martha’s station at the reception desk. Their interaction was strange, needless to say. The lady acknowledges [Name’s] arrival with a sharp nod, a knowing glint shining in those wise eyes of hers as she directs the younger woman to where she is sat right now.

It’s a little daunting, to say the least. Having security scattered along the place while employees of all sorts come filling in and out of the building. Some individuals were nowhere near subtle with their confusion as their gazes fall on the unfamiliar woman lazing on one of the couches. [Name] really couldn’t care less about the attention. After all, she knows what, or rather, who she’s here for. Their judgement as of the moment are currently irrelevant.

“Boo.”

“GAH—Peter!”

[Name] whirls around, hand over her chest to find Peter doubled over in laughter at the opposite side of the couch.

“I’m so sorry—pfft!” Laughter continues to spill from his pinkish lips, causing the spooked woman to huff.

“God, I almost forgot how annoying you are.” She snorts at the quick appearance of his pout.

His eyes widen in disdain, “am I really?” He inquires, brown hues gleaming to imitate that of the eyes if a pleading puppy… he really is too cute for his own good, despite the fact that he could probably crush anyone’s ribs with his build.

Maybe [Name] wouldn’t be  _too_ opposed to that.

[Name] quickly shakes her head to get rid of that thought, or any thoughts that could be deemed inappropriate, “maybe we’ll leave that discussion on hold until we get to a café. Or would you like to go somewhere else, Mr. Parker?”

Peter is quick on his feet, walking around the couch to stand before her. “I think a café sounds lovely,” he smiles, a very charming gesture that almost has the poor female weak at the knees. Her nerves somehow keeps her upright though, choosing to loop her hand around his arm that he offers, grasping onto his bicep.  _God,_ that’s a firm bicep. “Shall we?”

“Thought you’d never ask. I’m really craving for cake right now. You’ve eaten anything yet?”

“Maybe a snack or two. Though cake sounds good right now.”

The female hums, grinning at the dreamy expression etched on his face, “mm, right? I know just the place!”

* * *

 

Turns out, this  _might_ be a mistake.

[Name] cowers slightly as she rocks on her heels back and forth, concentrating hard to disregard the curiosity gleaming in the eyes staring into her very soul. Peter doesn’t seem to notice the sudden interest in his companion, too busy reciting his (and [Name’s]) orders while gazing at the list of options to the attending personnel at the cash register. Which is completely confusing considering the employees did nothing to at least try and appear nonchalant about their curiosity. Yet [Name] just accepts the circumstance so long as Peter remains to be unbothered.

_I should have brought him to somewhere else. Like Starbucks or something… not here._

She really should have, but her excitement over the arrangement had somehow clouded her judgement. Why didn’t she think this clearly? Bringing Peter to a café where [Name] is a regular. It’s a bad idea, a really  _really_ bad idea. One may ask,  _why?_ Why is this café considered a dangerous option? To put it simply, [Name] is a regular, a famous one at that, considering she walks in during her work days at exactly 7:05 in the morning,  _without fail,_ to fetch her morning coffee; at 12:10 in the afternoon to get something to eat for lunch and if the café is lucky—income wise—she asks one of the interns of the firm to fetch her afternoon tea. They literally have her orders memorized by heart at this point, and what does that mean?  _Everyone_ knows her.  _Everyone_ has a sense of familiarity with the architect that anyone of the workers could strike up a conversation with her if they wanted and she would happily engage in them. On rare occasions, they would even give her a slice of cake, free of charge, just because.

God, they must be having a field day seeing their favorite customer—she tips generously too—out and about and with a  _man_ to boot.

[Name] doesn’t dare to comment when a customer calls for assistance  _three times_. She quickly understands the delay though, the workers obviously distracted by her and the eye-candy happily giving his name (“W-what’s your name, handso— _sir?_ ” “It’s Peter!”) for his order.

Peter dutifully leads her to one of the window seats that showcases the busy streets of Manhattan and [Name] fights the urge to squeal as the brunet kindly pulls out the seat for her. It helps in alleviating her anxiousness caused by the audience—she even received a knowing smirk or two—and she feels relief flooding her system when Peter’s name is called so he can pick up his order.

[Name] contemplates on opening the group chat to update her friends, kind of an apology for blowing up on them during that fateful evening. Then again, she never told anyone, not even Nicole who she’s considerably closest to, about… this friendly hang-out? Date? Is this considered a date? Holy shit,  _does_ Peter think that this is a date?  _Breathebreathebreathe—_

“Iced coffee latte and a slice of red velvet cake for Ms. [Last Name]!” Peter chimes, skillfully placing the plate and cup in front of the frazzled woman as if it were second nature to him. “Funny enough, they said your cake is on the house.”

 _Of course it is._ She mentally rolls her eyes. “Oh? How funny ahaha…” [Name] cringes.

Peter appears to be slightly offended by the gesture,  _slightly._ “Do you know any of them? Because no offense, that seems to be too good to be true… I wish I got the same treatment.”  _Oh I could definitely treat you better—_

“UH—w-well, I’m a regular here! Have been for a long time—“ [Name’s] right eye twitches, finally noticing the small piece of paper poking out from the cup holder. “—so I’m fairly acquainted with everyone… but there isn’t really any reason for it, other than I get free cakes on random days.”

The brunet chuckles, seemingly impressed at the bit of information. Peter thinks it might be because of something else entirely. She must be  _that_ pleasant of a customer that they can’t help but to? Or [Name] could be their most favorite customer period. “Ah, wish I could have the same treatment. Must be nice…” he trails off, shifting to stare outside into the busy streets as he takes a sip of his drink.

Taking this as an opportunity, [Name] quickly unfolds the piece of paper from earlier,

_Looks like someone is out on a date! Have a free cake as a celebration of finally bringing a man here! Seems like a keeper. Enjoy ;)_

She quickly whips her gaze towards their direction. They seem  _too_ energetic at this time of the day. It’s  _rush hour_. How the hell are they so enthusiastic? They don’t seem to be putting up an act either.

[Name] snorts, rolling her eyes as she pockets the note.

“Anyway!” Peter starts, causing the female to jump slightly, “we didn’t get much time to talk before.”

“Yeah. To be honest, parties really aren’t my scene so I was kinda anxious the whole time.” She admits with a shy smile, her fingers tracing the moisture accumulated on her iced drink. It holds some truth, but it’s mostly just because she’s still kind of nervous to talk to the man himself, especially with the gradual development of her feelings she’s so desperately trying to tone down.

“Oh! I—I didn’t know that.” Peter confesses, now appearing guilty to which [Name] frowns at. “I’m sorry. I should have thought of something else.”

She chuckles.  _Always the considerate one._  “No need to apologize, silly! You didn’t know. Plus I thought it was a good experience. If you didn’t invite me, I wouldn't even be here right now.”

“Still, I couldn’t imagine how stressed you might have felt that night, I’m really sorry.”

“Hey, none of that.” She lightly kicks him in the shin. Peter retaliates, though much lighter, like a tap. “If it makes you feel better, you helped. It felt nice talking to a familiar face.”

Peter’s lips slightly part in awe at the kind smile tilting her lips, face suddenly warm as he watches her eyes squint from the gesture, before her gaze falls on her cake, shy. “Then—then I’m glad to be of help."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OWO?? What's this?? An update?? Finally!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are much appreciated! (P L E A S E)


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